


Renegades

by Lightning and Sunshine (thunderandlightning)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016), Supernatural, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: BAMF Stiles, Endgame Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, F/F, F/M, Female Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Multi, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Untrustworthy Alan Deaton
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-02-04 14:01:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 85,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18605989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderandlightning/pseuds/Lightning%20and%20Sunshine
Summary: It all begins with Stiles' realization that the town he left behind isn't home anymore, and he's got nowhere else to be.





	1. Might As Well Be The Seventh Sign

Stiles folded his arms across his chest, glancing down at the corpse at his feet. He grimaced and stepped back, not wanting to get blood on his sneakers. “I need to talk to you.” He told Lydia, ignoring the way that the rest of the room fell silent. Until he had spoken, some of the pack members were laughing and expressing relief that Monroe was dead and no longer a threat to their existence. 

“Okay, give me a minute and we’ll go.” Lydia said carefully, feeling certain that she wouldn’t like the words her boyfriend was about to say to her. Since he had come back from Washington with Derek, he had been distant to her and she wasn’t sure what she did wrong. 

“No, I’m not waiting.” Stiles shook his head. “You didn’t have a problem insulting me in front of everyone, so now you get to deal with this. You didn’t call me. You were dismissive. Lydia, I don’t care how minor the injury is, when someone tells you they got shot, you shouldn’t act like it was nothing. I can’t date someone who - you don’t give a fuck about me. The second you saw Jackson, it was like I didn’t even exist and I’m... I’m done.” He glanced at Scott, his expression becoming more of a scowl. “I thought I was important enough to get a phone call when something like this was happening.” He snorted derisively, then took a deep breath and looked at Derek. “I told you that if I said I’d gotten shot, nobody would give a fuck. I wanna demand that you give me the five bucks I set as the terms of our bet, but I’d probably just set the money on fire.” He walked outside to his Jeep, wondering if he could leave Beacon Hills behind forever. He hesitated with his hand on the door handle, but he refused to look back. 

Derek came up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Hey.” He said softly. “Look… I was hoping that what you said wasn’t true, and I’m sorry that they acted that way. I’m sorry that Lydia acted that way - I know what she means to you. I’d apologize for Scott, but I… well, frankly, I don’t want to.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth, thinking. “I wasn’t planning on staying.” He said eventually. “I only came back to help with Monroe in the first place. So… if there’s some place you need to go - want to go - I’m willing to head out there with you.”

“I would go back to Washington.” Stiles muttered. “But I’m pretty sure the email I got that said I was terminated from the program means I can’t really do that.” 

“So we’ll go somewhere else.” Derek replied. “I know Washington isn’t the only place you’ve ever had in mind. Where would you go?”

Stiles shrugged. “A big city, probably? San Francisco or Seattle. Chicago, maybe. Somewhere in Florida? I don’t want to deal with cold weather, but I’d get over it if I had to. I’ve heard plenty about Florida, anyway. It’s just that the warm weather sounds too good to pass up.” 

“How about the other side of the world?” Allison’s familiar voice asked from behind Stiles, a small, crooked smile on her mouth. “Would that be cool? I happen to have an in with someone that’s got a place in France, if you’d want to head there.”

“Aren’t you supposed to support Lydia by default?” Stiles asked, glancing over his shoulder at her. 

“Normally, I’d say yes.” Allison replied, glancing between him and Derek. “But you’re my friend, too. And I’m glad Derek’s got your back, but Lydia has - literally - a whole pack to support her. She wronged you, and that doesn’t sit well with me.” She shook her head. “I’m not going to support her with this. But I am going to support you.”

Stiles smiled hesitantly. “I mean, I’ve never been outside of this country. Except for that one time. Uh, and the other time. Mexico doesn’t count! Never mind.” 

Derek snorted. “Noted. Somewhere you’ve never been before, that’s where we’ll go. Just let your dad know and grab your passport. Don’t worry about money.”

“Okay.” Stiles blinked, feeling a little startled by how quickly his friends had offered him a solution to his frustration. He called his dad as he got his keys out of his pocket and held them out to Derek, circling around to the passenger side of the Jeep after he explained that he was leaving for awhile. “Do you need a ride?” He asked Allison. “Are you coming with us, anyway? Or are you going to say hi to everyone else?” 

Allison shook her head. “No. I was going to, but… maybe it’s just better if we go.” She grimaced. “Everyone is different.”

“Putting it mildly.” Derek snorted, sliding into the driver’s side of the Jeep and starting it. “Allison. In or out?”

Allison blinked, startled. “Oh. Uh, coming.” She blurted, and hurried toward the Jeep, climbing in.

“It’s probably not the best time.” Stiles muttered, turning in his seat to look at Allison. “But I’m glad you’re here. Everything has definitely gone sideways. Uh, Scott was dating Kira, and... wait, you knew that. That happened before you left. I don’t like her.” 

Allison smiled gently at him. “I liked her well enough, but I can see why you didn’t.” She hummed softly. “I’m glad I’m here, too. I’ve been away for a long time, and I’ve missed a lot. I’ve missed you guys.”

“Even Derek?” Stiles teased, grinning. 

Allison glanced at Stiles in amusement, and then glanced at Derek with a small smile. “Yes, even Derek.”

Derek huffed, his lips twitching. “Good to know.”

Stiles laughed, doing his best to ignore how angry and hurt he still felt about the fact that Scott, Malia and Lydia had decided not to call him. He didn’t mind it as much from Liam and his friends, since they weren’t that close to Stiles. But it still bothered him. “I have no plan.” He blurted, realizing it almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “Every plan I had is gone.” 

There was silence in the car for a moment, and then Derek responded softly. “I haven’t had a plan since I was sixteen.”

“So we’ll figure out something together, then.” Stiles said easily. “I mean, if you want? Usually, that gets a big nope out of you, so I probably shouldn’t have bothered asking it.” 

Derek glanced at him, his lips twitching. “I’d like to think that I’ve changed enough in the last few years that a suggestion like that won’t get a ‘nope.’”

“Oh right, it must have been some other guy running around in the woods without a shirt on in that video I watched with my class.” Stiles retorted, smirking. 

“Why on earth were you running in the woods half naked on video?” Allison blurted, looking at Derek in shock.

Derek growled under his breath, pressing his lips together and staring out the windshield in determination.

Allison squawked, and turned to look at Stiles, waving a hand at Derek. “What did he do?”

“He was wanted for murder. Again.” Stiles murmured. “Only this time, it wasn’t just one or two murders in a little town, it was a nationwide manhunt sort of thing.” He faked a sob. “I don’t know whether to be proud of you for advancing or disappointed in you for refusing to settle down and get a real job.” 

“Shut up, Stiles.” Derek muttered, his lips belying his amusement.

Allison brought a hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, god.” She laughed quietly. “Derek, how do you get into these situations?”

“It’s not like I deliberately went out there and legitimately mass-murdered people.” Derek sighed. “I was accused, falsely. My fingerprints, or my DNA, or something was stolen to implicate me, and apparently the county sheriff’s office was… small fries.” He smiled wryly at Allison in the rearview mirror, before glancing pointedly at Stiles, his eyebrows raised.

“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear that.” Stiles shook his head. 

“I’m not accusing you. I know you wouldn’t do that.” Derek told him quietly. “It’s been years. I actually laugh now, when I think about it. Not too much, but I do.”

Allison furrowed her brows together. “Do I want to ask you who you think really framed you?” She asked carefully.

“It was Gerard.” Derek said quietly. “And he won’t be an issue anymore.”

“See, first of all, that is awesome!” Stiles blurted. He looked at Allison and shrugged. “I mean, my condolences because he was your relative, but he beat the shit out of me and tried to kill a lot of people I care about, so...” He looked back at Derek. “Just tell me that you didn’t keep anything as a trophy.” 

Derek looked mildly revolted. “Why would I want to keep anything of his?”

Allison exhaled softly. “I don’t want condolences.” She muttered. “And I don’t care that he’s gone. He was never a part of my life until he was, and then when he was, he…” she frowned. “Well, he turned me into someone that didn’t really do any of you any favors.”

“At least you still had control over yourself.” Stiles murmured. “Which might sound worse, but it’s not.” 

“Complete control of myself.” Allison agreed, smiling tightly. “Enough to think that shooting arrows into Erica and Boyd, and stabbing daggers into Isaac was a perfectly okay thing to do, while my sick - literally sick - bastard of a grandfather decided to violate Derek because being a hypocritical asshat was more important.” She looked down at her hands. “I’m not saying that what you went through didn’t suck. It did. Complete loss of control, being possessed, I don’t… I can’t imagine how awful it must have been for you. But you didn’t deliberately make all of those choices, did you?”

“No.” Stiles shook his head. “But they were things I would have done. Not the murdering things, but the rest of it. And I’ve had those thoughts, anyway. It’s just that I wouldn’t act on them.” He hesitated, taking a deep breath. “Unless I had to.” 

“If you thought it was for the greater good.” Derek added quietly, staring out of the windshield. 

“Yeah. Not for any other reason.” Stiles glanced out the window. “We should probably stop talking about this crap, for now.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Allison murmured, leaning forward and propping her chin on the back of Stiles’ seat. She sighed, and then let out a small laugh. “We’re a hell of a group to end up traveling together.”

“Yeah, we’re like a cross between the group from Canterbury Tales and On the Road, but more gothic. Like if Tim Burton made a movie about either of those things.” Stiles snorted. 

“If Tim Burton made a movie about either of those, it would be stop-motion.” Derek snorted. 

“I don’t think I’d look good as clay.” Allison protested.

Stiles laughed. “This conversation somehow just got worse.” 

Derek’s shoulders shook silently, a grin touching his lips. “I can think of worse things.”

“Let’s not.” Allison giggled. “Let’s do something mundane and stupid. Like, I don’t know… seeing the world’s biggest ball of yarn.”

“So we’re gonna do that instead of going to Paris?” Stiles smiled. “We should at least pack first, right?” 

“I mean, I think we could make a road trip of it before we actually go.” Allison murmured, smiling. “But yeah, packing would be smart.”

Stiles smiled back at Allison. “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to hit at least forty-eight of the fifty states.” 

“I’m good for it.” Derek replied, smiling crookedly. “It’s been awhile since I’ve legitimately traveled anywhere that hasn’t been Mexico or South America since I came back to California.”

“Do you want to take my Jeep, or something else?” Stiles got out when they got to his house, but he leaned back in to look at Derek and Allison. “I’m fine with whatever, but whatever we take, we should take turns driving it.” 

“I took the bus from the airport.” Allison shrugged, laughing. “I have no car, period.”

“I came here with you,” Derek pointed out to Stiles as he slipped out of the driver’s seat and held the door open for Allison. “I think your Jeep can handle it. If not, I can do some maintenance.”

“Okay.” Stiles shrugged, going into the house. He grabbed his lacrosse duffel bag and filled it with clothes, his cell phone charger and his laptop. He thought about taking a few books, but decided not to. If he really wanted them, he could always have his dad mail them to wherever he ended up. 

Allison followed him inside, but stayed near the living room, looking around at the pictures thoughtfully. “Stiles - are there any pictures you would want?” She called curiously, passing by one of a very young Stiles being cuddled on either side by his parents.

“Not really?” Stiles called back to her. “I mean, I’m not going away forever.” He zipped the bag shut and carried it back down the stairs, turning to see what had Allison’s attention. “I was five in that picture.” He glanced over at her. 

Allison gazed at the picture, looking wistful. “It’s a lovely picture.” She said softly. Her eyes moved to the image of Stiles’ mother. “You look a bit like her.”

“Yeah, well, I kind of hope so.” Stiles laughed. “I don’t look anything like my dad.” 

“Does that bother you a little?” Allison asked him curiously. She looked back at the picture. “I can see some of him in you. You have the same jaw. The same mouth.” She smiled crookedly. “And I know for a fact you have his mannerisms.”

Stiles grinned back. “Yeah, that’s kind of a hard habit to break. I guess I started copying him when I was a toddler and just never stopped?” He looked embarrassed. “Did you want to grab something to eat or drink before we go?” 

“I think we can grab something on our way out of town.” Allison murmured. “I’m not very hungry right now.” She looked back at the picture again, and then turned toward the door, bumping her shoulder gently against Stiles’. “Come on, Derek’s waiting for us.”

Stiles carried his bag out to the Jeep and put it in the back. “So, where are we going first?” He smiled. 

Derek glanced up from his phone and looked at Stiles. “I was thinking we’d go north, first. Maybe to Astoria, Oregon, and then up the coast and in until we reach Seattle. After that… we’ll figure it out.”

“That’s hilarious.” Stiles said dryly, but he was already grinning. “Not like Scott and I ever went looking for a dead body, or whatever. If we don’t go for a walk on the tracks, it’s a wasted trip.” He looked over at Allison. “Please tell me you’ve seen The Goonies.”

“I’ve seen The Goonies.” Allison confirmed, looking amused. 

“I didn’t even make that suggestion with that in mind.” Derek protested, laughing.

“What, then?” Stiles grinned. “The Ataris?”

“No,” Derek snorted. “Astoria sounded nice, I figured we could go there.”

“Okay.” Stiles nodded. “No matter the reason, I like the idea.”

“It’s been awhile since I’ve even been anywhere near Seattle.” Allison added quietly. “And I’ve never been to Astoria. It could be really fun.” She smiled at Derek. “Good idea.”

Derek grunted in reply, but glanced in the rear view mirror at her a second later, giving her a brief smile before he returned his gaze to the road.

* * *

Stiles studied his phone as they got closer to Astoria. “Hotel or motel?” He glanced up at Derek. “I’m good with either.”

“A hotel, if there’s a decent one, but see if you can look at some bed and breakfasts, too, will you?” Derek requested, glancing at Stiles briefly before he looked back at the road. “Or one of those… whatever the hell you call them. AirBNB things.”

Stiles laughed. “Are you sure, old man? I can maybe find us a cave to live in. Or an abandoned bus station.” He smirked as he glanced at Allison. 

Allison had her hands cupped over her mouth as she laughed quietly, her eyes flitting back and forth between Stiles and Derek in amusement. 

Derek glanced at Stiles, raising both eyebrows. “I could find a burnt down house for us to stay in, if that’s more your taste.” He replied calmly. 

“Not so much, no.” Stiles shook his head. “I’ll see what I can find for us.” He started looking through apps on his phone, wondering if he had pissed Derek off by going a little too far with his joking. It wouldn’t have been the first time. 

Derek glanced at Stiles and nudged him lightly, giving him a small, crooked smile. “Hey, I’ll foot the bill.” He murmured, an apologetic look in his eyes, as if he realized how snappy he’d been. “Price is not an issue, okay?”

“Okay.” Stiles nodded. After a few minutes of searching, he smiled. “I found one right by the beach, and we’ll have it to ourselves.” He thought about mentioning the price, but decided not to bother, since Derek had said it wasn’t an issue. 

Allison looked excited. “That sounds awesome already,” she blurted. 

Derek nodded in agreement. “Sounds good. Book it,” He told Stiles, shifting in his seat to grab his wallet out of his back pocket before handing it over to the other man. “Use the black card.”

Stiles’ eyes widened. “Holy shit, you’re that kind of rich?” He blurted, then grimaced. “Never mind. Thank you.” He put Derek’s card information into the form and booked the house for the next three days, figuring that one night wouldn’t be enough, and they might be too tired after a full day at the beach - which is how long he expected they would stay there - to get up early and leave on the their second full day.

Derek huffed out a small laugh. “I am, actually,” he murmured. “Lots of good investments, lots of insurance policies, Peter finding someone capable of decent management to cover all of our accounts… I’ve been very well off since before the fire. But that isn’t a Black card. It’s just a card that’s black.”

“Oh.” Stiles eyed the card, then shrugged and handed it back to Derek. “I should have actually looked at it, but I figure you don’t want me memorizing the number. I wouldn’t do anything with it, but I can’t say the same for any demonic bastards that possess me and steal my thoughts.” 

“That’s not a thing that’s going to happen again.” Allison said firmly, frowning. “And I’m probably going to do research this entire trip into finding out how to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, I mean, as long as we don’t run into more ghost riders or berserkers, we’ll be fine.” Stiles muttered. “I’m sorry, I know I’m being a complete pain in the ass right now. I’m just going to quit talking until - I go to sleep, probably. I can’t control my mouth, then.” 

“Considering I’ve been in the same room with you when you’ve been asleep, I can vouch for that.” Derek teased, a small smile on his face as he reached for Stiles’ phone and peered at the address. 

Allison grinned softly, reaching both arms around Stiles’ seat and hugging him. “You’re allowed to be a pain, god knows you’ve been through enough crap to earn the right to complain about it.”

“We all have.” Stiles twisted around to look back at her. “I’m going to make this the last time I bring it up, though.” 

Allison’s lips quirked up at him. “Then I’m going to quit mentioning my issues, too. This is vacation - we don’t worry about anything except for food, and where we’re staying, and what we’re doing.”

“And we should do something we wouldn’t normally do, every time we stop somewhere.” Stiles added, grinning. “Just to make sure we’re not wallowing too much.” 

“That sounds great to me.” Allison giggled. 

Derek turned down a side street, chuckling quietly. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem for us.” He agreed. 

When they got to the house they were staying in, Stiles watched Allison’s expression to see how she would react to the place. He felt a little strange that he didn’t know much about her, beyond what he had learned from Scott - which was, admittedly, more than he should have known about her. 

Allison’s eyes widened as they pulled up, and her fingers clenched in the seat as she ducked her head to keep staring at the house. “Oh my god,” she breathed out, looking delighted. “It’s so gorgeous!”

“Do you want to race to the front door?” Stiles teased. 

Allison was already flinging the door open, barely waiting for Derek to park the car as her limbs flailed. “I’m already winning!” She called back to him, laughing. 

Stiles shrugged and didn’t bother running, taking his time to get to the door. He could smell the salt in the air from the ocean, which was only a block away from where they were. He was glad that he had packed swim trunks, even though it was going to start getting colder soon. Hotels had heated pools, the last he knew. 

Derek slid out of the car, sliding his keys into his pocket as he followed Stiles, his eyes on the front door as he came up behind the other man, nodding his head in approval. “I definitely like the outside.” He murmured. 

“Get in here and see the inside, then!” Allison crowed, sounding excited. 

Stiles walked in, looking around even though he had already seen what the inside of the house looked like. He went up the stairs and tossed his duffel bag onto a bed in one of the bedrooms, then flopped down beside it. Nobody from the pack had called, and he wasn’t sure if he was relieved or angry about that. “No more.” He muttered, remembering his not-quite-a-promise to Derek and Allison. Instead of moping, he grabbed his wallet and went back down the stairs. “So, are we going for a walk, or what?” 

“Yes.” Derek nodded, dropping his own bag on the floor by the main entrance. “I'm ready to go, whenever you two are.”

Allison bounced in place next to Stiles, grinning. “Walk. Definitely, yes, let’s go.” She paused a moment, and then tossed both arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Thank you for picking this place out. It’s a legitimate dream.”

Stiles laughed, hugging her in return. “I’m glad you like it. You’ll get to pick the next one.” He looked at Derek. “I think so, at least.” He let go of Allison when he realized he was still hugging her, opening the front door and walking out onto the porch. 

Allison gazed after Stiles, smiling softly at his back. She glanced up and startled when she realized that Derek was watching her in amusement, his lips twitching, and she ducked her head, hurrying after the other man as her cheeks reddened. 

Derek shook his head, smiling, and followed them both out. He had no idea what this trip would entail, other than just getting the hell away from Beacon Hills. It wasn’t lost on him that there’d been no messages, and no demands to return on his phone since he and Stiles had walked away with Allison, and he couldn’t seem to bring himself to care. As far as he was concerned, he and the two teens in front of him, were first priority. 

“I’m making an instagram account.” Stiles said suddenly, when they were halfway down the block. “I thought they were stupid, since it’s just a bunch of girls making duck faces, but I want to keep track of everything we’re doing on this trip.” He paused. “And yeah, it’s a little shitty of me, but I want other people to find it and suffer. Not that I’m giving them the link, though. Probably just, uh, Melissa. Since she’s sort of been like a mom to me, anyway. My dad gets the link too, obviously. That’s it, though.” 

“Does your dad know how to use Instagram?” Allison asked curiously. “My dad still has trouble with the FaceTime function.”

Stiles laughed. “He’s got a lot of younger deputies, they can help him access it if he runs into trouble.” 

Allison giggled. “Good, then maybe he can teach my dad what’s what.”

“If Peter decides he wants to be friendly while we’re gone, they’ll both be covered.” Derek sighed. “He’s fascinated by every little aspect of social media.” He looked at Allison. “Provided your dad doesn’t shoot him in the face the instant he approaches.”

Allison looked wary. “I don’t want to say he wouldn’t…”

“I kind of hope that Peter gives Scott a lot of hell. Not too much hell. Just a little bit. Like bumping into him and making him drop stuff.” Stiles murmured. “And then not helping him pick it up.” 

Derek didn’t fight very hard to hide his grin. “You want me to text him and drop a few ideas?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Stiles grinned back at Derek. “Okay, we’re only here for a few days, so we need to decide on things we wouldn’t normally do, and like, say them out loud and then like, be accountable for actually doing those things.” He rolled his eyes at himself. “Unless that’s a stupid idea. I don’t always have the best plans.” 

Allison laughed. “Sometimes you do. I like this one. We need a list of what there is to do around here, so that we actually can pick what to do that we wouldn’t normally do.”

“Okay, but I meant like, getting a tattoo or a piercing, or doing karaoke.” Stiles admitted, making a face as soon as the words left his mouth. “Not like, going to a museum that isn’t in Beacon Hills. I’m not sure what I’m going to choose as my different thing, though. I can’t deal with the sight of blood. So those first two things are out. I’m pretty sure I can’t sing, also.” 

“Let us decide whether that’s true or not.” Derek murmured. “And if you change your mind about either of the first two, I’m sure we can distract you.”

Allison nodded. “Yes, of course.” She hummed. “A piercing sounds kind of interesting, actually.”

“Really?” Stiles blinked. “Okay.” He looked out at the water as they got to the beach, taking a step back and bringing his hand up instinctively to catch a frisbee before it could hit him in the face. He threw it back and snorted. “Nice to know that my reflexes are good for something.” 

Allison blinked, staring at Stiles’ hands with wide-eyed interest. The fleeting, ‘that was hot’ thought spun through her mind, and she let out a tiny, embarrassed squeak before hot-footing it to the water and slipping off her shoes.

Stiles glanced over at Derek, then shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I should really quit bringing up anything that relates to... me not being myself.” He took off his shoes. His socks were next, and he tucked them into his shoes before he walked across the sand, toward the water. 

Derek rolled his eyes skyward, silently asking for patience even as he let out a soft snort of laughter, before he followed the other two. He didn’t take his own shoes off, but stuck his hands in his pockets and silently walked along the edge of the water.

Stiles felt strange, and he wasn’t sure what was wrong until it occurred to him that he was smiling. He was standing on a beach, miles away from Beacon Hills and with two outcasts like himself - and it didn’t hurt as much as he thought it was supposed to. A year earlier, he had been so certain that being separate from Scott would be as good as disappearing from existence entirely. And then he sort of did that, exactly, and Peter risked his life to save Stiles, not to mention the entire town. Stiles didn’t hate Peter anymore, and wasn’t so sure he ever had, to begin with. Other than that whole murderous rampage thing. He wasn’t going to throw stones, though. Not being in control of himself had put things into perspective. 

Allison watched surreptitiously as Stiles smiled, and felt an answering smile cross her face at the sheer joy of his expression. She walked through the waves, yelping a little at how cold the water was this time of day before she quickly recovered, laughing a little at herself. Turning forcibly away from Stiles and cutting her distraction with him by half, she took a deep breath and shook her limbs out before taking a running leap about a foot and a half away, causing a huge splash to erupt from her impact. Shouting in delight, she threw her arms up in the air, like she was declaring victory.

Stiles laughed. “We probably should have put on swimsuits before we did this.” He didn’t love the idea of walking a block home in waterlogged jeans. A glance around made him sigh in relief; the three of them were the only ones on the beach. The kids playing frisbee had left. He took his shirt off, tossing it toward his sneakers before he unfastened his jeans and took them off carefully. “Don’t judge me.” He called out, avoiding looking at either of his friends before he ran toward one of the waves. 

Allison yelled in approval, clapping her hands. “Yes! Damn it, we’re getting swimsuits when we go into town.” She called back. “Derek, get over here!”

Derek laughed, shaking his head. “No, nope, I am perfectly fine right where I am. I’ll just keep an eye on Stiles’ clothes and make sure that no one decides to steal them.”

“Then this is your thing.” Stiles grinned. “Before we leave, you’re getting in the water. No swimsuit.” He realized what he said a few seconds too late. “But not naked. Unless that’s your idea of a good time.”

Derek smirked wryly at him. “I don’t have an issue with being naked, no.” He said slowly. “Is it an issue for you, if I am?”

“Only if you don’t stand at least ten inches away from me.” Stiles retorted, grinning. 

Derek glanced down at himself, and then shrugged. “I mean, you might be giving me a bit too much credit as far as length goes…”

Allison choked out a laugh. “Derek!” She blurted, looking astonished and delighted with his words.

Derek grinned. “Just being honest.”

“Maybe I wasn’t talking about you.” Stiles smirked. 

Derek let out a hearty laugh, his head falling back. “That must get difficult, trying to walk around with that sort of weight.” He teased.

Allison suddenly looked a lot more intrigued with the waves and the sand, her face feeling like it was burning from the heat of her blush. She let out a huge sigh, and then ran deeper into the water until she could dive reasonably well. Recalling her brief time in swimming class in high school, she attempted to practice her strokes, uncaring of how soaked her clothing had become. When she surfaced again, she was much further from Stiles and Derek than she’d originally been, and she laughed at herself, swimming back until she could walk back toward the surf. 

Stiles shivered a little as he tried to dry himself off with his socks, since he didn’t want to get his shirt wet and figured the socks were more absorbent, anyway. “Okay, I’m hungry.” He spoke as he picked up his shirt and pulled it on. “We need to figure out what we’re doing for dinner.” 

Allison pushed back her hair as she made her way toward the two men. “We could look around and see what’s local? You know, the non-chain restaurants?”

Derek nodded slowly. “The small town restaurants usually have the best food, in my experience.”

“Yeah.” Stiles murmured, even though his only experience with small town restaurants had been Greta’s diner, in Beacon Hills. “I guess we can look things up at home? I mean, when we get back to...” He waved a hand in the direction of their rental house. “I’m sort of expecting a lot of seafood places.” 

“Same.” Allison replied. She made a face. “But not too many, I hope? I’d really like a good Italian place. Or burgers.”

“Burgers always sound good.” Stiles agreed. He pulled his jeans on, wriggling a little to keep them from sticking to his wet underwear. “I’m going to take a shower right before I do anything else, though.” 

“Ditto.” Allison laughed. “Pretty sure I swam through seaweed. And there is definitely sand in places there shouldn’t be.” She made a face and squirmed. 

“I could make a disgusting joke right now.” Stiles mused. “But I’m going to pass, just this once.” He started walking toward the rental house, once his socks and shoes were back on. “I’m just glad I brought my pillow. Sleeping without it would have been impossible.” 

Derek made a curious-sounding noise. “Why is it that you can’t sleep without your pillow?” He asked. 

“I don’t know.” Stiles admitted. “I guess it’s a comfort thing? It might be a holdover from when my mom was alive. When I had trouble sleeping, she would tell me to get my pillow and come get in the Jeep, and she’d drive around for hours and let me pick what songs we listened to on the radio.” 

Allison’s eyes were soft as she looked at him. “It sounds like a comfort thing.” She murmured. “You’ve got your pillow, and you associate it with good memories of your mom. I probably would too, but I just have my mom’s cookie recipe.” She smiled without humor.

“Is it a good idea or a bad idea to ask if you want to make those at some point?” Stiles asked quietly, glancing over at her. “If you don’t want to, no problem.” 

“I’d like to.” Allison murmured, looking back at him uncertainly. “I just don’t know how good they’d be.” She exhaled. “I’m not exactly great at… you know. Cooking stuff.”

“It just takes practice.” Stiles smiled. “And we’ll have time to work on that, anyway. It’s not like we have anything else to do.” He unlocked the front door and moved aside to let Derek and Allison past him, as he took off his socks and shoes. He didn’t want to get sand all over the house. 

Derek entered, and then paused, just inside the doorway before turning to look at them both. “I can help.” He said quietly to Allison. “If you’d like it, I mean. If you need help with making cookies… my mother had a recipe, too.” His lips twitched a little. “From the back of a Tollhouse bag, but still.”

“That’s how my mom taught me.” Stiles grinned. “Except that we added stuff, sometimes. Like coffee.” 

Allison looked interested. “Coffee? Like, ground coffee, or brewed, or instant?”

“Brewed.” Stiles nodded. “My dad begged her not to ever do that again. I was bouncing off the walls for two days.” 

Derek snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, I can see that happening. My mom - and Peter, too, actually - liked toffee in the cookies. If they couldn’t have that, they’d both go for butterscotch.” He smiled faintly. “She was the oldest, and Peter was the baby of the family. There were a lot of years between them, but they were so similar with some things…” He shook his head.

“I used to wonder what it would be like.” Stiles shook sand out of his socks and shoes, then set them down carefully, just inside the front door. “Scott’s the closest I’ve ever had to a brother.” 

Allison glanced hesitantly at Derek, and then held her tongue. She wanted to say, ‘Kate was more my older sister than my aunt,’ but even she couldn’t bring herself to speak of the older woman in front of Derek - not when she knew now, not when she realized that the Kate Argent she had known was an act. She’d never known the real Kate, the one that would willingly seduce a child solely to burn his world down around him. So she held her tongue instead. “I’ve never been anything but an only child.” She murmured eventually.

“Nah.” Stiles shook his head. “You had Lydia. Maybe you still do?” He knew that was a little too optimistic, especially for him. “I mean, I haven’t gotten any phone calls. Have you?” 

Allison shook her head. “But… I haven’t really been looking at my phone. And no one knew I was in Beacon Hills, anyway.” She scowled a little. “Unless Jackson opened his big fat mouth.”

“Even so, she would have called or texted you.” Stiles reasoned. He didn’t feel like dredging it up any more, so he shrugged one shoulder and walked into the house, pushing the door shut behind him before he went up to his room to take a shower. 

Derek glanced at her, before taking a seat on one of the couches. “Have you been expecting her to call or text you?” He asked carefully.

Allison hesitated again, and then sighed. “I mean, I’d like her to, but I know it goes both ways. It’s not like I texted to tell her I was coming. Everything seemed so urgent, and I honestly kind of assumed that Jackson would tell her I was on my way.”

“He probably would have.” Derek assured her. “Except he got trapped, along with Ethan, almost immediately as soon as he got into town. Monroe captured them both.”

“Oh.” Allison hummed. “Well… walking headlong right into a trap sounds about right.”

Stiles walked back downstairs a few minutes later, wearing clean clothes. His hair was still damp and he rubbed a hand across his face, trying to escape the chill in the air after he had taken a hot shower. He sat on the couch and looked over at Derek. “I’m changing my phone number.” He blurted. “There’s no reason not to, anyway. But I’ll wait until we get to France.” 

Derek leaned his elbows on his knees and sat forward. “I can have a new phone ready and waiting for you when we get there.” He murmured. “You can just take the SIM card out and be ready to go. But I’ll wait until we’re actually finished with our little road trip and physically on our way to France.”

Stiles smiled. “Thank you.” He stretched his legs out in front of him, lost in thought for a few minutes before he spoke. “I was going to marry Lydia.” He laughed softly. “That was my life plan. I’d marry her and be a cop. I’m still trying to process that I’m not going to have any of that happen.” 

“It’ll take time.” Allison said softly, after a beat of silence. “You basically had your dream come true after years of waiting… and it wasn’t the dream you expected it to be. No one expects you to get over it in an instant, Stiles.”

“I do.” Stiles snorted. “That’s the problem, I guess. Trying to live one day at a time - I mean, I thought that was what I was doing, these last couple of years. But it was different.” He bit his lip, then looked up at her. “I guess I sort of figured that I was going to die? So every second that I didn’t die, I thought ‘okay, what’s next?’ And now all I’ve got in front of me is... are? Decades. Hopefully, I mean. But they’re all kind of empty. I could do anything and that’s kind of terrifying. I would rather have a plan. But plans don’t work. So...” He glanced over at Derek. “What’s next?” 

Derek smiled gently. “Next… we get dinner.” He said firmly, and then glanced at Allison. “Preferably after a certain someone gets rid of her stowaway sand.”

Allison blinked, and then snorted. “Yeah, yup. I’ll go ahead and do that.” She stood up, then paused and looked at Stiles. “It’ll be okay, you know. One day at a time, an instant, a year, whatever. It’ll be okay.” She bent over slightly and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, squeezing his shoulder gently before she darted out of the room and up the stairs.

* * *

Stiles carried a paper bag into the house, two days later. He smiled wistfully to himself as he unloaded the groceries onto the kitchen counter. There was still radio silence from most of Beacon Hills, but Stiles had filled his time with talking to his dad and reading a couple of books from the shelves in the homeowner’s living room, when he wasn’t on the beach or walking around the town. “Hey, lazy people!” He called out. “I’ve got a full day of shit we have to do, so get down here!” 

“Rude!” Allison called back. “I am not lazy!” She descended the stairs, walking through the living room and into the kitchen.

Derek appeared a second later, hopping up onto the counter and staring at Stiles curiously. “What kind of plans do you have?” He asked warily. “Do I need to be worried?”

“About getting a stomach ache? Yes.” Stiles waved a hand over the counter, gesturing toward the bags of chocolate chips and toffee he had picked up at the store. “We’re making cookies and going for a walk on the railroad tracks. That’s all I feel like doing, and I’m not doing it by myself.” 

Derek looked at the ingredients and felt his lips twitch up into a smile. “I’m on board.” He said, nodding.

Allison eyed the cookie ingredients nervously. “You know, I wasn’t kidding when I said that I can’t do the baking thing.” She said carefully. “Like, feeding myself is an issue when I have no restaurants to go to, I don’t cook or bake for myself, ever, and I really don’t want to burn something.”

“Well, we’re going to help you.” Stiles insisted. “It’s just a matter of setting the oven temperature and setting a timer, and checking on the cookies when the timer goes off. Easy enough, okay? Besides, we have someone with us who can tell if the cookies are starting to burn.” He pointed at Derek. 

“Twenty-four years of honing my senses, and yeah, that’s precisely what my sense of smell is for. Catching burning cookies before they burn.” Derek replied dryly, his lips smiling teasingly at Stiles.

Allison giggled quietly, still looking nervous before she sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

Stiles started mixing the ingredients for three batches of cookie dough, then divided it up among three different bowls and added a cup of coffee to his, smiling as he remembered rainy afternoons where he was so certain that mixing everything with a spoon was a serious task, and it kept him preoccupied when he was starting to drive his mom crazy with wanting to go outside, despite the weather conditions. 

Allison joined him slowly, staring at the bowl and taking a deep breath like the cookie dough mix held all of the answers to all of the questions in the entire world inside it. Eventually, she began to scoop small balls of dough, rolling them in her hands and placing them on the sheet, praying she did her mother’s recipe justice.

Derek reached for the toffee and poured half the bag into the dough, mixing it thoroughly before he added the rest, his own nostalgic smile on his face as he recalled his mother and uncle constantly arguing about the right ‘toffee-to-chocolate’ ratio for the best cookie. It was a fight that reared its head every single time Talia Hale had a desire for cookies, her youngest brother making a general nuisance of himself until someone - usually Talia’s husband - arrived to mediate. The scent made the entire house smell warm and inviting, and Derek himself had been able to smell the cookies baking from the road just past the Preserve. It only made him rush home faster to grab a stack before they were all gone.

Stiles glanced over at his friends as he picked up his tray, sliding it into one of the two ovens that he had already preheated. He leaned back against the counter as he set a timer on his phone. He wasn’t sure what to say, and he was starting to appreciate the silence around him a little more. 

Derek followed suit, slipping his tray of cookies in with Stiles’, and then waited until Allison was finished as well before he shut both oven doors and hopped up on the counter once more.

Allison stared down at her hands, trying to will them to stop shaking, before she leaned back against the counter as well. Without really thinking about it, she dropped her head to rest against Stiles’ shoulder, though she kept her arms wrapped around herself.

Stiles put an arm around Allison’s shoulders. He glanced over at her, thinking for a moment before he looked at Derek, smiling hesitantly. He stepped back from the brunette and reached out to tap her shoulder. “Tag! You’re it.” He ran from the room and up the stairs, laughing to himself. 

Allison blinked, looking startled before she sputtered out a laugh and started after him. “Stiles!” She called. “I’m right behind you!” Her voice sing-songed in delight.

“But you haven’t caught me!” Stiles yelled over his shoulder. He ran down the back staircase and through the house, waving as he passed Derek. 

Derek waved back, looking bemused as Allison came flying around a corner, her hair wild. “He went that way.” He told her helpfully, pointing in the opposite direction.

Allison scoffed. “You’re a lying liar who lies!” She called, running in the opposite direction that Derek had pointed her in.

Stiles slowed to a stop as he made his way through the back yard, spotting a coiled hose. He reached for the spray nozzle, unwinding a few feet as he checked his phone to see how much time was left for the cookies. 

Allison screeched in frustration, slamming both palms down on a windowsill. “Stiles, what the hell?” She yelled. “Where did you go?” 

“I’m in the back yard!” Stiles called out, laughing to himself. 

“If you run by the time I get back there, I am eating all of your cookies!” Allison muttered under her breath, stomping toward the windows to peer out into the backyard. She grumbled under her breath when she didn’t see him, and sighed, making her way outside.

Stiles squeezed the water release trigger and sprayed Allison with a quick blast, giving her an innocent smile. “Hi.” 

Allison shrieked, throwing her hands up belatedly to protect herself. “Oh my god, where did you find a hose?” She whined, starting toward him.

“Right here.” Stiles waved his free hand at the coiled hose on the back wall of the house. “I’m guessing you want vengeance now?” 

“You’d guess right,” Allison snorted, still coming toward him. She quickened her step, eyes narrowing at the man in front of her.

Stiles held the hose out to Allison, bracing himself. “Go ahead.” 

Allison stopped, looking at him warily even as she reached out to take the hose. “This isn’t a trick, is it?”

“No.” Stiles frowned. “I’m not - I was just trying to distract you from feeling upset. I guess I should have thought about it a little more. Sorry.” 

Allison gazed at him thoughtfully, humming a little in understanding before she took the hose into her grip. She stared at it for a moment, then started to drop it - before she pulled the trigger and blasted Stiles right in the chest with the water spray. A tiny smile spread across her face. “It worked. Don’t apologize.”

Stiles nodded, pulling his wet shirt away from his skin and wringing it out as best as he could. “Come on, the cookies should be done any second now.” He put a hand on her shoulder and started guiding her toward the door without thinking much about it; he always did this same thing to Scott. 

Allison leaned into his touch, looking content as she headed back into the house.

Derek was pulling the cookie sheets from the oven, a small, satisfied smile on his face as he gazed down at them. “We can divide them up.” He said when he noticed Stiles and Allison. “Some of each for all of us. Though if Stiles can’t sleep tonight, we’re taking his cookies and hiding them.”

Stiles laughed. “Fair enough. I might send a few to my dad, anyway.” He knew better than to try to eat any of the cookies before they were cooled off, so he focused on washing the mixing bowls and spoons, instead. 

Allison had no such compunctions, and reached immediately for one of Derek’s cookies after staring pleadingly at him. She broke it apart when he gave it to her, a low noise of happiness in her chest, and then bit into the cookie, fanning at her mouth when the chocolate oozed and the heat of it clung to her tongue. “Oh my god,” she murmured happily.

Stiles grabbed a plastic bowl and started putting cookies into it, making sure to take a few of each kind. He pressed the lid down on top of the bowl, then put more of his own cookies into a second bowl. The second bowl went into the fridge, and he gave his friends an impatient smile. “Train tracks. Come on.” 

Allison grabbed her backpack and headed after Stiles. “Lead the way.” She murmured.

Derek nodded and followed silently. “I’m right behind you.”

Stiles smiled to himself as he turned to put the cookies into Allison’s backpack. He walked down the road, toward the train tracks, his hands in his pockets. This felt monumental, like the night that he had led Scott into the woods, but Stiles had no way of knowing that his best friend’s life would be forever changed by that. This was different because he knew that whatever happened on this walk, he and Derek and Allison were going to change because of it. 

Allison followed him silently, glancing between Derek and Stiles every so often with a small smile as she clung tightly to the backpack.

Derek smiled back at her each time he caught her gaze, nodding forward like he was encouraging her to keep going. He kept pace easily with them, his hands stuffed inside his own pockets as they moved.

When they got to the train tracks, Stiles stared out at what he was pretty sure was at least a mile of railroad and nothing else, suspended over the water. He took a deep breath and stepped up onto the metal rails, stepping forward with one foot carefully to test the wooden plank in front of him. It seemed sturdy, so he started walking. “I always wanted some kind of moment like this.” He spoke over his shoulder, but didn’t look at Allison or Derek. “I think that might’ve been the thing that - my mom was different, you know? Because of the dementia. But I don’t know now and I sure as hell didn’t know then, what the difference was. She believed in the sort of things that everybody else thinks are mythological. Like werewolves. Anyway, uh, I thought that if Scott and I waited long enough and stayed patient, we’d have some kind of defining moment. But then that turned out to be him believing Theo instead of me, and choosing not to call me, even though I could have helped. Did help.” He added, pursing his lips. “I’m sorry. I keep talking about the past and shit, it’s just that it won’t get out of my head now, and I keep wondering if I went wrong somewhere. Like maybe if - just if. Everything.” 

Derek came up beside him, one hand still shoved in his pocket as the other gently clapped down on Stiles’ shoulder. “It doesn’t help,” he said softly. “Dwelling on what if, and maybe. It just… makes you spiral. Believe me, I know, Stiles. Probably better than most people.” He exhaled. “If things with Scott turned out like this, it happened for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is - maybe to teach you that you don’t need him, maybe to teach him to stop taking you for granted - but there is one, and… you’ve just gotta believe in it.”

Allison stepped up on his other side as they walked, her hand slipping into Stiles’. She leaned against his side, hoping her presence would help. “I’m sorry that your moment here couldn’t be with Scott.” She said softly. “I’m sorry that… this Theo guy ruined what you had with him. Don’t apologize about bringing this up - it genuinely bothers you, it isn’t like this is frivolous. Scott’s your brother, and he let you down. And… I know that you aren’t as close with Derek, or with me, to… you know, be able to share the moments you wanted to have with Scott, but… we’re here with you. We’re here, we’ve got your back, so… maybe we can have one, anyway?”

“Yeah.” Stiles squeezed Allison’s hand gently. “I’d like that. Just the three of us and a bunch of moments, I think.” 

Allison smiled and said softly, “I’d like that a lot, too.”

Derek nodded. “Same here.”

“Good, then -” Stiles’ mouth dropped open as he stared ahead. “Um. We should probably...” He glanced to either side of him as the train started coming closer. It hadn’t made it to the bridge yet, but he knew they only had a few seconds. 

Allison stared after him in wide-eyed astonishment. “No freaking way.” She muttered in disbelief. 

Stiles was reminded of the night that he was staring in horror at Jackson, while he was trying to push Erica and Isaac toward the door, to safety. He kept his hand in Allison’s as he moved toward Derek, pushing him toward the side of the bridge. 

Derek sputtered. “Stiles, where exactly are we going to go?” He blurted, looking at the other man. 

“Down!” Stiles pushed Derek again, even though it wasn’t proving to be very effective. “Dude, argue later, when you’re alive to do that.” 

Derek stared ‘down’ warily, then looked at Stiles before looking back at the quickly approaching train. “I’m going to regret this.” He sighed, then grabbed Stiles and Allison close. “Count of three.”


	2. Better Late Than Never

Stiles laughed to himself as he took his turn driving to Seattle, the next morning. He turned the radio up and glanced at Allison and Derek, wondering if they were as relieved to be alive as he was. “Okay.” He began. “I know, objectively, it was kinda my fault that we were on the tracks and had nowhere else to go. But it was nice to have an easy solution to impending doom, for once.” 

Allison looked put-out and sulky. “I think my brain is still rattling around inside my head from that drop.” She whined, slumping against the window. 

Derek stretched out in the backseat, smirking. “I don’t know, that was a hell of a blast of adrenaline. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that. Anuk-ite turning me into stone notwithstanding.”

“Were you conscious of it doing that?” Stiles asked, glancing back at Derek before he returned his gaze to the road in front of him. “I mean, did you get stoned - heh, sorry - and then you weren’t anymore and it had been like nothing happened? Or were you just like, ‘I might have to pee, but I have no idea’?”

Derek snorted. “I was aware of it happening to me as it happened,” he said slowly, thinking. “After that, it was… well, a blank, really. So the first one, I suppose. I was stone, and then I wasn’t.”

“I trapped it in mountain ash.” Stiles murmured, not sure if Allison had been told about that or not. “I thought that if it didn’t work, there wouldn’t be anything left for us to do. But I wasn’t - I wasn’t sure it would work?” He frowned. “Scott insisted that it would.” 

“What made Scott so sure?” Allison blurted. She’d been staring at Stiles and Derek in horror as they’d spoken, and couldn’t decide if she was angry that she’d been late to the Anuk-ite’s party, or relieved that she hadn’t seen her friends turned to stone. 

“I don’t know.” Stiles admitted. “I mean, I came face to face with it, and it didn’t affect me at all.” 

Derek frowned deeply and sat up, peering at Stiles in the rear view mirror. “The thing was made of fear. It fed off of it.” His eyes flicked toward Allison for a moment, and then he looked back at Stiles. “I kind of think that it didn’t really have anything left to feed on. Not with you.”

“Plenty of shit scares me.” Stiles protested. “Like...” He tilted his head, thinking. “Well, maybe not that, but... I don’t know. I thought I was scared last night. If that makes a difference.” 

Derek shrugged. “I don’t know, Stiles.” He murmured. “Maybe the mountain ash actually worked. Maybe it was really scared of you.”

Stiles snorted, but when he glanced at Derek again, he realized that the older man was serious. “Why?” As soon as the word left his mouth, the answer became obvious. “Fuck.” 

Derek looked at him apologetically, but sighed and nodded. “Yeah.” He murmured. 

Allison glanced between them, and was about to demand an answer for why they both looked so spooked when the answer dawned on her as well. She shivered - the Fox creature that had nearly skewered her alive, that had nearly made sure that Allison would be the last of the Argent matriarchs. She looked back at Derek. “You think it’s possible?”

“Anything is.” Derek assured her. 

“I want to argue with you about this.” Stiles said quietly, his tone resigned. “But I used to feel like I’d rammed my fist into a steel girder when I hit you, and I knocked Theo to the ground without any pain. I’d say I don’t play tricks, but Allison couldn’t even find me yesterday, while we were playing tag. At least it wasn’t a deliberate thing I did? Or is that worse?” 

“I’m not sure.” Derek admitted. “I would say that gaining some of that thing’s leftover powers is actually a good thing. You lived with it inside your mind - you knew how it worked, how it thought, how it moved, but you were helpless. You’re not now, and it’s gone.” He rubbed his chin. “I think you got the better end of the deal.”

“Given that the worse end of the deal was death, I’m gonna have to agree with you on that.” Stiles said dryly. He changed the subject, not wanting to alienate the girl who had nearly died at his borrowed hands. “When we get to Seattle, we should go to the Aquarium. I want to see some otters.” He glanced at Allison. “Do you like otters?” 

“I love them.” Allison smiled, looking at him with gratitude. “Penguins, too. The Aquarium is a brilliant idea.”

Derek smiled faintly. “I won’t argue with that.” He murmured. 

Stiles opened his mouth, then closed it again. He hesitated, then shrugged to himself. “I was going to ask where we’re going after Seattle, but I don’t care? I mean, I do. Just that I don’t want to worry about it. I’m trying to not have a long-term plan. Making plans for the day sounds good enough to me.” 

Derek hummed a little. “Why don’t we just… make a plan to not make a plan?” He suggested. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but… we’d probably miss some really good things if we adhered to a really strict schedule.”

“That’s true.” Stiles murmured. “So, until we decide otherwise, nothing but spontaneity.” He laughed. “Which I realize is a plan to be spontaneous, but whatever. If it works, it works.” 

Allison laughed quietly. “There are probably worse things to plan out. At least this one doesn’t put us on a leash.” She looked at Derek, color leaking onto her cheeks in embarrassment. “That wasn’t a dog joke!”

Derek let out a loud laugh. “I didn’t think it was.” He assured her, patting her shoulder. 

“I booked us an expensive place, this time. It’s a downtown hotel.” Stiles explained. “The Four Seasons. But it’s a five-star.” 

“I haven’t stayed in many five-star hotels.” Derek murmured, nodding in approval at Stiles. “But I’ve stayed there before. It definitely has my approval. Good choice.”

“When did you stay here?” Stiles hoped he wasn’t bringing up bitter memories for Derek, but he liked any moment when the werewolf opened up to him. 

“Well, it wasn’t the one in Seattle.” Derek murmured, furrowing his brow as he dragged up his memories. “My mom was part-Pawnee and part-Pomo Native American. She taught us as much as she could about her heritage, but she wanted us to kind of…” He made a gesture with one hand as he tried to find the words. “Be open, I guess? To other Native cultures, so when it came to family vacations, we didn’t often go to Disney or the Space Needle, or St. Louis, we went to cultural places, historical places. A lot of times we went to reservations, and there’s a huge Navajo reservation near Scottsdale, Arizona. There also happens to be a Four Seasons hotel, and I think I was…. thirteen when we stayed there.”

Stiles smiled. He tried to think of something else to say, but he spotted their exit and changed lanes. “Fifteen minutes.” He remarked. “Both of my parents are Polish, and all of their parents are. Well, I mean, my paternal grandma is dead, but my dad’s dad is still alive. But he’s an asshole. My mom’s parents live in Minnesota.” 

“Do you talk to them?” Derek asked curiously. “I’m guessing talking to your dad’s dad is a huge no.”

“Yeah, it would be too confusing, even if he wasn’t a dick.” Stiles snorted. “Given that he goes by ‘Stiles’ too, I mean. My dad kinda hated that I wanted that as a nickname.” 

“You didn’t take the name from him, though, right?” Allison asked. “You took the name from your last name, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but so did he.” Stiles murmured. “I think my mom... might not have always been the nicest person? She recommended it to me when I had trouble with my first name. I kept calling myself ‘Mischief,’ but the teachers wouldn't do that for me.” 

Allison frowned a little, thinking about it for a moment, before shaking her head and changing the subject for Stiles. “Um… I have cousins in France.” She started. “Otherwise… it’s just me and Dad.”

“Are your cousins, uh, like you? Or are they like your grandfather?” Stiles smiled gently, trying not to upset her with the question. 

Allison smiled back at him and sighed. “It’s… difficult to know. They don’t seem like Gerard. They don’t even seem like Kate. I think that… being raised in France, being raised in the heart of the family business there, you know, where my ancestors are from and where they created the original code, it’s different than what it became here.” She worried her lower lip. “I don’t know what happened to the Argents that originally immigrated to America, other than, you know, I’m descended from them, but… I think there were too many mishaps. Too many… volatile situations, and… too much corruption. It degraded the code. And I can’t help thinking, like… if the Argents are supposed to be matriarchal, if ‘the women lead’ is true, then… how did Gerard weasel his way into power?” She looked at Stiles, and then back at Derek uncertainly. “I never met my grandmother. And I don’t know who my great-grandparents were, or who my great-great-grandparents were. I just know that my family’s been around for a really long time, and that I’m the descendant of a woman known as the Maid of Gévaudan, and if she’s the reason that the Argents are supposed to be matriarchal, then someone dropped the ball somewhere, or someone forgot to tell Gerard, or didn’t do a good enough job of hammering it into his head.” She sat back, breathing out heavily. “Sorry. I got ranty.”

Stiles grinned. “I’m kind of an expert on ‘ranty,’ and that wasn’t it.” He laughed, eyeing the parking lot in front of them before he pulled in and grabbed a parking ticket, then parked in one of the few available spaces. “Do we want to check in, then come back for our stuff? Or just bring it with us?” 

“Bring it with us.” Derek replied, straightening. “We might as well get it all inside the room now.”

Allison nodded. “Yeah, I think - yeah. What Derek said.”

“Okay.” Stiles opened the back door of the Jeep and stepped back to stretch his legs and arms while he waited for Allison and Derek to get their things. He grabbed his duffel bag and sent his dad a text. ‘We’re in Seattle. How are you?’

‘Good!’ John replied almost immediately. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that Melissa is reinforcing your dietary restrictions on my life while you’re away. Really, though, I miss you, kiddo. How’s the trip so far? Enjoying yourselves?’

‘It’s been pretty good. We made cookies yesterday.’ Stiles smiled to himself. ‘And some are in the mail and should get to you tomorrow. We sent some to Chris and Peter, too. We’re not sure what we’re doing after we leave Seattle, or how long we’re even going to be here.’ 

‘I want you to do me a favor, then, okay?’ John replied. ‘Wherever you end up going, I want you to send me at least one postcard from that place. Even if it’s the tiniest town you can possibly find and its only claim to fame is… I don’t know, the world’s tiniest splinter. And thank you for the cookies. I can’t wait to get them, even though I know Mel’s probably going to hide them from me.’

Stiles laughed. ‘I’ll start sending postcards.’ He agreed. ‘Gotta go, we’re checking into the hotel now.’ He shoved his phone into his pocket and got his ID out of his wallet. 

Allison followed after him, her backpack on her shoulders, and a smaller duffel bag in her hand. She glanced back at Derek to make sure he was following, and then sped up a little to catch up with Stiles as she looked around the interior of the hotel. “Oh, this place is gorgeous.” She murmured.

“Yeah, the pictures made it look like it was definitely worth the cost, even though I thought my eyes might fall out when I saw that.” Stiles muttered. “I’ve been keeping track of everything I spend, just because I want to pay Derek back for at least half of what I’ve cost him.” 

Derek stopped and looked at him, frowning. “You haven’t ‘cost’ me anything,” he said. “Everything I’ve bought so far, I’ve done for all of us because… well, because we’re pack. I didn’t do it to guilt you into paying me back or anything, Stiles. You definitely don’t need to, I promise you.”

“I know, and it’s not that.” Stiles protested. “I’m just trying to make sure that... I don’t know, that I don’t take advantage of you? Even accidentally.” 

Derek was silent for a moment, and then firmly put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “I don’t believe you would ever do that to me. Accidentally or otherwise.” He took a deep breath. “The three of us… we don’t have much, in the way of family. And… for me, family is pack. It always has been. So when I say that you’re pack, Stiles, I mean that you’re family. The family I chose.” He glanced at Allison, his eyes softening at the look of trepidation on the girl’s face. “Same goes for you.”

Stiles grinned again. “Same goes from me, too.” He nodded. “Okay, then I won’t pay you back.” He shrugged. “But I’m keeping track, anyway.” 

“Go ahead.” Derek replied, looking amused. “But if it really starts bothering you, tell me. I’ll make you pay for the next extravagance.” He teased. 

Stiles laughed. “Okay.” He sat down on one of the lobby couches to wait while Derek checked in, rubbing his eyes. He had forgotten that since Derek’s card had been the one used to make the reservation, Derek would have to be the one to hand over his ID. “I’m going to sleep for like, twelve hours.” He glanced up at Allison. 

Allison grinned at Stiles as Derek walked toward the desk, and she pressed the palm of her hand against the center of his back. “I think you’ve earned that.” She told him. “More than earned it.”

“I probably won’t actually need that much sleep.” Stiles smiled back at her. “I reserved the presidential suite for us, and I asked for a mini-fridge and some other stuff, since I wasn’t sure how long we would be here. I started looking at things to do out here just because, when I was studying for a science exam. I don’t think I’ll be bored anytime soon.” He smiled sheepishly. “It was for a quiz on marine biology and they’ve got that as a major at a university, out here.” He stood up when he saw the clerk hand Derek the room keys. “I really think we’ll be here awhile.”

* * *

Theo counted the change in his hand and glanced up at the sign over the barista’s head as he tried to figure out what he could afford. Since he had been brought back from - wherever he was - Theo didn’t have anywhere to go. No house meant no job, and no job meant no money, except whatever change he could scrounge up. He used it mostly to pay for gas, so he could drive his truck around when whatever deputy on duty would tell him he couldn’t park somewhere to sleep. Today was one of the rare occurrences of him having found a five dollar bill, and he wanted to live like a normal person. “I guess just a plain coffee.” He held four quarters out to her, smiling widely, like he had been trained to do. Old habits were hard to break, but they came in handy when they got him what he wanted, like a free muffin to go with his coffee. He thanked the barista and put what was left of his change into the tip cup, figuring it had never been his money to start with, anyway. He sat down at a table to have the first meal that he hadn’t needed to kill or steal in months. He felt a little lonely sometimes, but he reminded himself that emotions were sort of a construct; as long as he dwelled on one, he couldn’t move on from it. Fortunately for him, he had a library card that helped him stay distracted from his current situation. He didn’t have a book with him now, but he had the opportunity to sit still and watch people. If he stayed quiet and listened, he could find out about any potential threats. It had worked out well for him, over the years. 

“This is rather sad, you know.” Peter commented, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. “I can practically hear the tiny violin playing in the background.”

“Well, you have two options.” Theo commented, not looking up as he tore the muffin into pieces and popped one into his mouth. He wiped his hands on a napkin. “You can either sit here with me and make me look less like a character from a Hallmark movie, or you can give me money and shut up. And go away.” 

“It’s my hard-earned, inherited and invested money, I’m not giving you any.” Peter replied. “But I suppose I can make you look marginally less pathetic by sitting here with you.”

“Okay.” Theo’s lips twitched, but he didn’t bother voicing the sarcastic comment that didn’t sound like something he would have said, in the first place. Some things had stuck with him, and the knowledge of that made him a little sad. He clenched his teeth and sat up straight. Emotions were useless. 

“That’s a lot of anger you’re pretending not to have.” Peter murmured. “Or is it frustration?” He narrowed his eyes at the younger man. “What is it, exactly, are you doing here, looking like a pup that someone threw out into a rain storm?”

Theo thought about arguing, but decided it was a waste of time. “I’m not exactly welcome around here, but I’ve got nowhere else to go.” He eyed Peter. “From what I hear, you’re in the same situation.” 

“Mm. I offered to take Malia and run away, but it seems that Daddy’s little girl’s fallen in love with Daddy’s little mistake.” Peter gave Theo a tight smile. “So yes, we are, in fact, in the same situation. Which is ridiculous, this was my territory long before that little dolt became an alpha, this town was my home long before he was even a thought in his mother’s mind.” He pursed his lips together.

“Yeah, except that you can afford to go somewhere else.” Theo shrugged. “I can barely afford a gallon of gas.” He grimaced. “Scratch the ‘barely.’ I can’t afford a gallon of gas. I’d leave my truck and just run somewhere, but that’s kind of what I’m using for a house, these days.” 

“Get a job?” Peter suggested. “Sell your plasma, semen, services, any number of things.”

“Okay, I don’t know how they did things when you were young.” Theo smiled widely. “But you have to have an address to get a job, now. And nobody in this town wants to buy my semen. Not that I’ve looked into that, but I’m thinking it’s a safe assumption. All there is to do in this town is run from danger and have sex. People can make babies just fine by themselves.” 

Peter grimaced. “Fair. Fine.” He furrowed his brows. “What if I give you a loan? I said loan, specifically. I expect to be paid back.”

Theo tilted his head, thinking. “A full tank of gas is going to cost me about a hundred and sixty dollars. I can get pretty far on that, but I’m guessing you want some way to be able to track me down. I mean, I could just take your money and you’d never see me again.” 

Peter smiled coldly. “I’d be able to track you down, don’t worry. I’ll decide on a number. You worry about how to utilize the money, because I won’t be giving you more.”

“I didn’t ask for it in the first place.” Theo pointed out. “I just said that you could give me money and go away, or sit down. You’re the one who chose both options.” 

Peter tilted his head to observe Theo. “Perhaps I’ve turned over a new leaf. Maybe I’m trying to prove that I can care about other people. I suppose I don’t have to give you money if you don’t want it, but as you said, I can leave this hellmouth whenever I want - you can’t.”

Theo smiled slowly. “Okay.” He said again. He got out his wallet and gave Peter an expectant look. He wanted to tell the older werewolf that caring about other people was definitely a sucker’s bet, but he wasn’t going to say a damned word until the money was in his hand. 

Peter tilted his head in the other directions, smiling faintly at Theo. “Oh - you thought I had the money on me now? No, no. I don’t carry cash. You can follow me to an ATM to get the money. Come on.” He stood up. 

Theo followed Peter out of the coffee shop. “So, Malia and Scott are dating now?” He asked, laughing softly. “How does Stiles feel about that?” 

“Didn’t ask him.” Peter replied. “I’d imagine he doesn’t care - or, rather, he cares, but not so much that he’d let it bother him. The last I’d heard, he was dating the lovely Miss Martin, but given the… ah, shall we say, difficult truths… that he laid at her feet, I don’t believe that that’s the case anymore.” He led the younger man past the nearest ATM, and continued walking until he was standing outside a large bank, a sophisticated-looking ATM planted right in the wall. 

Theo needed a minute to process the fact that Stiles had dated Lydia, his long-unattainable crush, and had broken up with her. Of the pack, and his friends from his early childhood, Stiles had been his favorite. Scott had asthma in common with him back then, but that had been the extent of their similarities, and neither of them were asthmatic, these days. “When you say ‘difficult truths’, what does that mean?” He asked Peter. 

Peter glanced at Theo over his shoulder as he approached the ATM. “Apparently, neither Lydia or Scott had called Stiles with the intention of asking for his help during the Monroe debacle. And at some point while he was gone, Stiles had gotten shot, and Lydia dismissed it. I’m not too clear on the details, to be honest. I find drama endlessly fascinating, but it’s not so entertaining when the people being accused of something do nothing to admit to their innocence or guilt, and merely stand there and accept the accusations.” He fell silent as he focused on the ATM, and when he was done, he looked back at Theo. “Not that I was paying much attention to begin with. I’d just been turned to stone and back, I was a bit more preoccupied with other matters.”

“Yeah, I was kind of busy with making sure Liam didn’t get murdered.” Theo remarked. “Repaying a debt. But he got shot?” He shook his head, feeling like he had given away something he didn’t want to admit to. Anything that could be seen as a weakness was a problem. 

“Mm.” Peter replied simply, nodding. “Last that I heard, he’d taken off with my nephew on some kind of life-asserting cross-country road trip. He sent me cookies.” He blinked for a moment, shaking his head, a small, private smile on his face. Those had brought back memories. He’d finished them all in one sitting, and hadn’t been aware he’d done so until he’d reached for another and found the care package empty.

Theo stared at Peter. “So Stiles left with Derek, after breaking up with Lydia, and Lydia didn’t protest? And now they’re sending you cookies? Is this... are they dating?” 

“If they are, they didn’t tell me.” Peter shrugged. “Although if they are, I’d also rather not know.”

“Okay. Well, either way, you know more than I do about any of it.” Theo pointed out. He decided to go looking for the Sheriff as soon as he had the money from Peter in his hand. Even if John refused to speak to him, there would be some kind of clue about Stiles’ whereabouts. Theo was already planning to leave Beacon Hills, and finding someone he already knew might be a good idea. Even if it only resulted in him being told to fuck off, he had to try. Not having a pack left him feeling weak and tired, even though he knew he didn’t have it as bad as a ‘regular’ werewolf. “Do you have a pack?” 

There was a pause as Peter drew his shoulders in tightly. “I have enough of a connection with Derek and Malia and, sadly, Scott, that I technically can be considered pack, but otherwise… no. I do not.”

“So... Derek is gone, though.” Theo eyed the ATM. As nice as it would be to have money, he suspected that Peter would rather fly than drive anywhere, and if he could convince the older man to buy him a plane ticket of his own... it would mean leaving the truck, though. He had a decision or two to make. “I could find out where they are.” 

Peter slowly turned his head to look at Theo, a single thin eyebrow arching up in mild amusement. “Oh, could you?” He asked. 

“Yes.” Theo blinked, going back over their conversation in his head and trying to figure out where he had made a mistake. It wouldn’t have been the first time this happened to him. 

“Theo, I’m not concerned about where they are.” Peter murmured. “If you want to find them, be my guest. But I’m guessing that the money I had in mind for you likely won’t be enough now.”

“Probably not.” Theo admitted. “It was just supposed to be gas money, to get me somewhere else. That doesn’t factor in motel stays or food.” 

“You’re right.” Peter sighed, shaking his head. “Never let it be said that I’m not generous.” He turned back to the ATM, and after several minutes, he looked back at Theo with a large stack of twenties in one hand, his other hand counting them off. “You will pay me back.” He informed him again, quietly. “I am not a debt collector, I will not harass you for payment, because I expect you to have the common sense to give back what you owe. This will more than cover any motel stays, gas, food, and other odds and ends you may need for however long it takes you to catch up to my nephew and Stiles.” He pressed the twenties into Theo’s hand, raising his eyebrows. “Be smart. Stay on the down-low and don’t draw attention to yourself. I don’t think I actually need to tell you that.”

Theo nodded. “Yes, sir.” He said automatically, years of the Doctors’ training ingrained in his behavior. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me.” Peter replied easily. “If you think you need to find them, then find them. That’s all I ask.” He made a face. “And tell my nephew to pick up a goddamn phone.”

“Okay.” Theo murmured. He pocketed the money - no need to count it, he had done that already - and walked back toward his truck. He drove past Stiles’ house, then went to the police station. Once he got there, he put his money into his wallet and walked into the building. 

Parrish eyed Theo warily as soon as he spotted the younger man, and then hurried into John’s office. He came out a minute later, John following closely. 

John looked at Theo in interest, his brows furrowed as he moved closer. He wanted to keep reminding himself that this boy had seen fit to discredit his son and ruin the kid’s life, but the kid in front of him looked… well, miserable. “What can I do for you, Theo?”

Theo frowned. “I could lie or tell the truth, and it wouldn’t matter either way, since you’re more inclined to think I’m lying to you. So the truth isn’t going to necessarily do me any favors, but here it is: I’m going to leave Beacon Hills. I’m not coming back, and whatever your son tells me is going to influence what I do after I see him. But I want to find him before I do anything else. You can help me by giving me a location, or I can resort to other means, and find him anyway. I’m not going to hurt him.” 

John exhaled, folding his arms over his chest. “It’s hard to believe you,” He agreed. “But you also make a good point. I can’t stop you from finding my son if that’s what you want to do.” He cleared his throat. “He’s on his way, if not already in, Seattle. That’s as close as I can narrow it down for you.”

“Thank you.” Theo smiled. He thought he should say something else, but he wasn’t sure what more he could say. “It’s a big city, but I think I can find him there.” 

“Mmhm.” John nodded slowly. “I’m banking on the hope that you’re not as bad as you used to be, and that you genuinely do not have any plans to hurt my kid. Because if you do, it doesn’t matter where you go, or who you talk to.” John gazed at him plainly, his words genuine. “That kid is the best thing in my life, and I’ll crucify anyone that hurts him.”

“With all due respect, you gave his location to me a little too quickly.” Theo said earnestly. “I expected a firm no about that. I’m not going to hurt him. I could say it a thousand times or get it notarized on a piece of paper, but you wouldn’t trust it. You won’t trust it. And you’re right not to. But I’m not going to hurt him.” 

John studied the younger man for a moment longer, and then nodded slowly. “If you say so.” He said quietly. “But I am planning on telling him that you’re coming.”

Theo glanced at his watch. “Can you give me twelve hours before you call him? It’s going to take me at least that long to get to Seattle. If you called him right now, he would be gone long before I got there.” 

John rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed. “Twelve hours.” He agreed. 

“Thank you, Sheriff.” Theo went back out to his truck and got in, feeling light for the first time since he had learned that the Doctors wanted him to live above ground and interact with the people he had only watched from a distance for years. He turned the radio on and pulled out of the lot, driving north.

* * *

Stiles tilted his head back, looking up at the sky. Seattle was cold and every bit as rainy as the movies and tv shows indicated, and he loved it. While most of the tourists ran for shelter, he stayed in the rain. “I bet we could get a gondola to ourselves, on the Ferris Wheel.” He laughed. “It’s water! What’s wrong with people?” 

“I suppose some people care about their hairstyles.” Derek replied, his lips twitching.

Allison laughed. “Let’s go. The Ferris Wheel or bust!” She said, looking gleefully at the other two men.

Stiles ran, splashing through puddles. He was right, the line of people waiting to get on the Ferris Wheel had considerably decreased, but there were a few people still waiting around. “We’ll just go back to the hotel after this, and figure out dinner.” He suggested. “I’m craving pizza.” 

Derek squinted up at the Ferris Wheel, pushing his soaked hair out of his eyes. “Are we going to have another argument about toppings?” He asked, glancing at Allison warily. 

Allison pointed at him. “Pineapple on pizza is a legit topping, there’s a reason it’s called Hawaiian style!”

Stiles pointed at Allison, nodding as he looked at Derek. “Just because your palate is refined for like, squirrels, doesn’t mean that pineapple pizza is the work of the devil.” 

Derek flicked Stiles’ nose lightly. “There are some things that go on pizza. If I wanted pineapple on pizza, it wouldn’t be pizza. It would be a fruit tart.”

“You need to expand your horizons a little bit.” Stiles laughed. “When we get to France, I’m going to make you eat snails. If you don’t eat pineapple pizza now, I mean.” 

Derek made a face. “I mean… I’m sure I’ve eaten plenty of bugs when I’ve run around as a wolf…” he tried. 

Allison started laughing. “You’ll justify that, just to avoid pineapple? Derek, sweetie.”

“Quiet, you.” Derek snorted. 

“I’m pretty sure that snails don’t count as bugs.” Stiles mused, ignoring their playful arguing. “I’ll look it up when we get back to the hotel.” He stepped forward and showed their tickets to the ride attendant, then got into one of the gondolas and sat down. 

Allison laughed and hurried on after him, squirming to the side and squeezing in beside Stiles in order to make room for Derek. 

Derek sat down across from them, smiling faintly. His head tilted to the side curiously. “I figured that would’ve been something you’d already know. I’ve seen the results of your research spirals.”

“I’ve probably looked it up at some point.” Stiles agreed. “But I don’t remember everything I’ve ever read. That would be one hell of a useful skill, though.” 

“Eclectic memory, right?” Allison asked, looking around as the Ferris Wheel began to move. She looked back at Stiles. “Or is that something else?”

“Eidetic.” Stiles corrected her, smiling. He looked out the window, silent for a moment as he took in the sight of the boats below them, out on the water. “I want to spend all day tomorrow at Pike Place Market.” 

“That sounds really fun.” Allison bumped her shoulder against his, smiling back.

“I agree.” Derek murmured, leaning back against his seat and peering out over the city with his own smile. His head turned toward Stiles, his head cocking. “Your phone is ringing.”

“Oh.” Stiles answered the phone, grinning. “Hey, Pop.” 

“Hi, kiddo.” John replied. “I don’t want to mince words, okay? I may have fucked up. Theo Raeken asked me where you were. I told him you were on your way to Seattle, if you weren’t already there, and he asked me to give him twelve hours before I told you. He said he isn’t planning to hurt you, and he looked, I don’t know, miserable enough that I want to believe him. Where are you? Did you make it to Seattle?”

Stiles grimaced. “Yeah. Is he there and telling you to lie to me?” 

“No, he isn’t here. Do you know what he would want with you? He said that he’s leaving Beacon Hills, and that he’s not coming back, but he wants to find you and that whatever you tell him will have an impact on whatever he does next. Does he owe you something?”

“Not that I can think of.” Stiles muttered. “Unless you count the fact that he tried to murder all of my friends. And you.” 

“So, he owes you his life for everything, basically.” John replied. “Are you able to get out of Seattle, or do you want to confront him? Christ, I’m sorry, Stiles.”

“It’s okay.” Stiles paused. “Wait. He asked for twelve hours. Did you give him twelve hours?” He glanced up at Derek, his gaze darting to Allison. 

At that, John sounded vaguely smug. “God, no. I told him I would, and I sounded very put-out when he asked. Said it would take twelve hours for him to even get up to Seattle from here. He’s been gone for two.”

“So he’s already somewhere in Oregon.” Stiles murmured. “All right. I don’t know what he wants, but at least I have time to figure it out before he gets here.” 

“It also depends on how fast he’s driving.” John murmured. “He kept swearing up and down that he didn’t want to hurt you. I don’t know what he wants from you, but part of me wants to believe him. The other part wanted to lock him up.”

“You should have. You could’ve booked him for harassment.” Stiles retorted. “If he’s looking for me, he has a damned good reason. He wouldn’t do it out of boredom. Killing me isn’t going to get him anywhere. Even if, for whatever reason, Scott had been the one to command it? Theo wouldn’t follow his orders.” 

John was silent for a moment. “Stiles, I’m sorry.” He repeated quietly. “It’s why I’m calling you now. I know I screwed up.”

“No, I don’t think you did.” Stiles frowned. “You probably ought to talk to Scott’s pack. See if any of them know anything.” 

“Scott’s pack…” John repeated, frowning. “I’ll do that.”

“Okay. Call me back and let me know?” Stiles asked. “We’re going to have dinner and I might fall asleep for a while after that. It’s been raining.” 

“I will.” John murmured. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay.” Stiles repeated. “Love you.” He hung up and sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “Theo’s on his way out here. He told my dad that he really needs to talk to me, and that he’s not coming back to Beacon Hills, ever. Whatever I have to say, apparently that decides his fate.” 

“So if you tell him to walk off a short cliff, that’s what he’ll do?” Allison asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. 

Stiles laughed. “I don’t know. Maybe? I think it’s a little more complex than that. He could have left at any time, so the fact that he chooses now to do it means he just found out that I’m not in town anymore. But if he just figured that out, it’s not like he was stalking me. Or at least, not effectively.” 

“This Theo… is he the one that Scott parked on Liam detail?” Derek asked, frowning. “You never did tell me the whole story with this guy.”

“We were friends in elementary school.” Stiles began. “But then he moved away - or so we thought - and he came back at the start of senior year. It turned out that the whole time we thought he was gone, he was being raised by the guys who were trying to bring Allison’s ancestor back.” He gestured to the brunette. “Uh, they figured out a way to stay alive for a few centuries. Don’t ask me how. I don’t know or care. Theo was supposed to help them find their vessel for Sebastien Valet, but he had his own agenda and it involved murdering Scott and claiming his power. It didn’t work out for him, because Melissa McCall is some kind of goddess.” He remarked. “So she revived Scott from death and Theo’s plan fell apart. Kira put him underground and he was there for a while, until Liam brought him out and asked him for help in stopping an evil teacher. Beacon Hills has way too many of those, by the way. Scott and Malia were going to murder Theo, but Liam ended up talking them out of it. I’m actually kinda surprised he didn’t leave right after Monroe got murdered, like we did. Or even sooner. Nobody told him he had to stick around for the last few months.” 

Derek grimaced. “Maybe he just didn’t have anywhere else to go? I’m not going to pretend to know his methods, but if Laura and I hadn’t had the insurance money and everything to fall back on… We probably would’ve been in the same boat, honestly. Nowhere to go, no way to get there.” He shrugged.

Allison was still stuck on one thing, squinting at Stiles in disbelief. “... People were trying to resurrect one of my ancestors? What the hell happens in Beacon Hills when I don’t live there?” She blurted.

“Lydia didn’t tell you any of this?” Stiles blurted. “I mean, I guess I’m just as, uh, to blame?” He frowned. “I really thought someone would have told you. Maybe that’s where we all keep failing.” He looked at Derek. “If Theo didn’t have anywhere to go, it was his own fault for screwing over everybody he ever met.” 

Derek just shrugged again. “Again, don’t know his methods. Definitely don’t know how he thinks. And… definitely do not know how he was raised. Whatever. Do we need to hurt him when he shows up?”

Allison was muttering to herself, looking sulky and hopeful. “Maybe Lydia just didn’t tell me because she didn’t want me to feel obligated to come back and help?”

Stiles put an arm around Allison and hugged her close, looking at Derek again. “I think hurting him might actually be extreme. And a waste of time. I’m not above killing him an feeding him to sharks. Hurting him won’t teach him anything. Last I remember, he actually likes it.” 

“Oh, he’s one of those people.” Derek shuddered, shaking his head. “We’ll figure it out when he gets here.”

Allison sighed and leaned against Stiles, looking up at him. “Maybe he just really, really likes you. Or he’s like a little baby duck and he imprinted on you in a bizarre way because you’re the only one who doesn’t fall for his shit?”

“I’m not ruling out the idea that Scott sent him to kill me, to earn a place in the pack.” Stiles muttered. 

Allison opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it slowly, frowning. She wanted to say that Scott wouldn’t do something like that, but… well, she’d been gone for awhile. And her relationships with the others had definitely changed. Sighing, she dropped her head to Stiles’ shoulder. “Can we order two pizzas when we get back to the hotel, and, like, a freaking bucket of boneless chicken wings?”

“Yes.” Stiles grinned, rubbing her shoulder. He glanced down when the ride stopped. “I guess we’re about to be done here, anyway. We’re out next.” 

“That went by faster than I expected.” Derek snorted, leaning over to follow Stiles’ gaze. To Allison, he said, “I will pay for the pizzas, the chicken wings, any drink you want, and any dessert you want to share if you two promise not to make me try your damn Hawaiian pizza.”

Stiles glanced at Allison, his lips twitching, before he looked up at Derek. “No.” 

Allison giggled. “I think snails and pineapples are in your future, Der.”

“I hate you both.” Derek sighed, shaking his head.

“Nah, you don’t.” Stiles protested, grinning. “But if you wanna ditch us, you could just travel somewhere with Theo, so you’re not off on your own.” He got out of their gondola when they were near the platform, walking away from the attendant before he spoke again. “Okay. As much as I’m in the habit of talking about how shitty he is, it’s a little more complicated than that.” 

“Explain.” Derek requested, falling into step on his left side.

Allison walked silently next to Stiles on his right. “Yeah, I’d like to hear this, too.”

“Okay.” Stiles took a deep breath. The rain had stopped, but droplets clung to everything, and he remembered how it felt to be stuck in a downpour as Scott refused to listen to him. How it had felt, as they drifted apart more and more, to have Theo around to talk to. “Theo had my back, when Scott didn’t. I know that his motivations were selfish, to a fault. But so are Scott’s. It’s hard sometimes, trying to figure out if he was ever genuine. Uh, Theo. Not Scott. Anyway. I want to keep telling everyone how different we are, but we aren’t. I mean, not exactly?” He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “If he had been honest with me from the beginning, I don’t think anything would have turned out how it did. It’s like Scott was my moral compass, keeping me from getting into too much trouble. Theo was the opposite?” He hated that he sounded fond, even now. 

Allison’s eyes were soft as she looked up at him. “You were the devil on each other’s shoulders.” She commented, smiling.

“Yeah, kind of.” Stiles murmured. “I’m kind of afraid of the two of you seeing me around him, because I know it’s... a little embarrassing? But I haven’t even spoken to Theo in a long time. I don’t know why he decided to come looking for me. He has to know that I’m just going to tell him to get lost.” 

Derek rubbed his hand over his chin, exhaling. “Maybe all it is… is what your dad said. Theo told him that whatever you said to him is what would lead to whatever he did next. Maybe he just wants some direction from you.” His lips twitched a little. “Even if that direction is, ‘go straight to hell.’”

“Maybe.” Stiles murmured, thought he doubted it. He felt a little terrified of Theo’s impending arrival, but he didn’t want to flee Seattle to escape him. “Just don’t judge me.” He muttered, ducking his head. “It’s pathetic.” 

Allison looped her arm through his and shook her head. “No judging.” She promised Stiles, resting her head against his shoulder.

“Derek?” Stiles knew he sounded a little whiny, but they really wouldn’t understand for another nine and a half hours. “Seriously, if it gets bad, you two should just go.” 

Derek huffed a small laugh, wrapping his own arm around Stiles and squeezing his shoulder. “We’re not going to abandon you, Stiles. We’re staying right by your side.”

“Okay.” Stiles murmured. He leaned against Derek for a moment, laughing when he realized he had pulled Allison along with him and they were walking awkwardly, and probably looked drunk. 

Allison giggled, clutching at them both and doing her best not to fall over. “We would fail if this were a race and our legs were tied.”

“Yeah, but the odds of the three of us ever needing to enter a race like that are really damned slim.” Stiles pursed his lips, then made a noise of irritation. “Fuck it. I have to call Scott.” 

“No,” Allison whined, drawing the word out. “Don’t let him ruin this, Stiles!”

Derek shook his head. “Stiles, if you have to call him, at least leave it for later. When we’re at the hotel, and well fed, and relaxed.”

“Okay.” Stiles murmured. “I’ll wait, then.” He agreed. He didn’t really want to talk to Scott, anyway. But if Theo’s insistence on seeing him had anything to do with Scott, he needed to know.

* * *

Stiles eyed the countdown clock on his phone as he channel-surfed, the next morning. He had gone to sleep early - or at least had tried to. A couple of fitful naps later, he gave up on a full night of sleep and had gone for a run on a treadmill, then took a lengthy shower, just in an effort to kill time. He picked up a slice of leftover pizza and bit into it, his gaze going back to the timer. He felt like he was going to explode out of his skin. He hadn’t even called Scott, since he figured it would probably just devolve into a screaming match. Just because it hadn’t happened yet, that didn’t mean it wouldn’t eventually. If he stayed away and avoided contacting his best friend - former - then he could avoid the inevitable. 

Allison sat up and stared at him blankly, before rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Stiles.” She said sleepily. “I can practically feel you freaking out in my sleep. Come here. I demand cuddles.”

Stiles snorted, but he moved toward Allison, laying on his side and glancing over at her. “I can’t sleep. I’m worried. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and he’ll be in the city in about an hour. It’s a large enough place that it’s not like he can just bump into us, except I’m pretty sure he’s going to. I think he’ll just know where to find me.” 

Allison reached up, petting his hair softly as she turned to her side and stared back. “What’s freaking you out more?” She asked. “That he’ll find you, or that he’s someone that just knows where to find you?”

“Uh, can I say both?” Stiles shrugged one shoulder. “If it was Scott... I mean, before. I wouldn’t have cared. I would have figured that’s just what best friends do. But Theo is too similar to me. He catalogues things he hears and sees. I bought Lydia a tv when she turned sixteen because I heard her say that she was trying to convince her parents to let her have one in her room, like she was using their divorce to her advantage. That’s not the kind of thing that I should have done. But I knew that and did it anyway. I don’t think Theo has been given that same opportunity? If he gets someone a gift, it’s a manipulation. Not that mine wasn’t...” He sighed. “I was determined to get Lydia to pay attention to me, and I shouldn’t have done it by buying her things. I know that. This conversation is going sideways and - if Theo has something to ask me, it’s not going to be if he can borrow a cup of sugar. For cookies. Jesus christ, why did I even need to clarify that?” 

“Because you’re adorable and you overthink everything that you think.” Allison teased him, smiling softly. “I get it, though. If Theo is too similar to you, I mean… at most, maybe he’s coming to find you because you’re literally the only one he can turn to. He gets you, and you get him, there’s an understanding there between you two. You were friends, now you’re sort of enemies. What’s the thing they say about love and hate? I mean, I’m not saying you love him, but you know, two sides of the same coin.”

Stiles licked his lips nervously. “I’m going to ask you something, and it’s going to sound weird until you understand the context. Have you ever watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer? The series, not the movie.” 

Allison huffed. “Of course I have.” She replied easily. “Tiny girl that can kick ass and look pretty doing it? She was my role model.”

Stiles grinned. “Okay. So you’ve seen how she was around Faith? Season three. Not later on.” 

“Oh, god, yeah. I hated it. It was like… it was like Faith was some kind of drug whenever she was around Buffy, and -“ she blinked, staring at Stiles. “Ah.”

Stiles nodded, embarrassed. “If I go darkside the second I get around Theo, I’m not kidding about you and Derek ditching me. I really did think about packing up and getting the hell out of here. But he’s not the kind of person who just gives up. He’d follow us. He’d find a way.” 

Allison pursed her lips. “Do you know what I wish the most about… losing myself, letting Gerard manipulate me and letting myself go ‘darkside’ after my mom died?” She asked him. “It’s that I wish I’d had someone to have my back. To… pull me back, to smack the sense into me. My dad tried, and I didn’t listen. Scott was yelling at me so much right before that I felt like I couldn’t do anything but fuck up. And after the way we’d all alienated Lydia, I didn’t deserve to have her there to pull me back, but I still wished that I’d had someone to make me step back and realize that listening to Gerard was a mistake, that he wasn’t giving me the whole picture, that he was turning me into his daughter’s clone. I know it isn’t quite the same thing as what you’re talking about, but - Stiles, you’ve gotta know that it doesn’t matter what being around Theo does to you, Derek and I are not going to abandon you. We’re going to anchor you.” 

“Okay.” Stiles murmured. “I wanna say I’m making a bigger deal out of it than it is, but there’s so much that I can’t explain.” He sighed when the timer beeped, telling him that Theo was definitely in Seattle by now. “Time’s up.” 

Allison rubbed her palm over his shoulder, her eyes soft. “And we’ll meet him when he comes. If he wants something bad, something that you can’t give him, I’ll aim an arrow at his head or something. Derek will probably posture, maybe use it as an excuse to shift his nails into claws or bare his teeth.”

Stiles laughed. He shook his head and sat up, reaching toward his phone. He dialed a number, taking a deep breath and keeping his back to Allison because he was certain she would smack him. “Scott, I just need to ask you something really quick, and then you can get back to the rest of your life.” 

“Stiles!” Scott sputtered. “Dude, of course, anything! Wait - before you say anything, I wanna say I’m totally sorry for not calling you, man. It was selfish of me, but I kept thinking that you got out, you made it out of Beacon Hills, I didn’t want to drag you back. I’m sorry for not calling before, but I figured… I kind of figured that you didn’t really want to hear from me, and that you needed your space without me, like, bugging you.”

“Because I’m an entirely new person?” Stiles remarked sarcastically, then wondered if Scott actually believed that. The nogitsune had either created a new form around him, or had stolen his and given him the new one, and Stiles still wasn’t sure which of those things was the reality of the situation he had found himself in. “Anyway, I'm always hoping to hear from you.” He sighed. “Or at least, I would have been. I think I might need more time. I’m only calling because I was wondering if you’d heard from Theo.” 

“Theo?” Scott let out a low growl. “Definitely not. I know I had him watching over Liam while he was here helping, but there’s no place for him in Beacon Hills, if there ever was. He hasn’t come sniffing around, so I guess I just figured he’d left town.”

“Yeah.” Stiles muttered. ‘No place for him, no place for me. No place for Ally or Derek.” He glanced over his shoulder at the brunette, smiling tensely as he continued. “Scott, you save everybody’s phone number like they’re worth money. Just give me Theo’s number, all right?” 

“No, wait, hang on.” Scott protested. “There’s always a place for you here. You, Allison, and Derek. Theo overstayed his welcome, don’t you think? Why do you need his number?”

“Because he’s looking for me.” Stiles murmured. “And I’d rather just get this over with than have him wandering around the city, trying to find me.” 

Scott sputtered. “Well, do you need my help? I can come find you, I can get him to back off. Where are you?”

“I don’t want him to back off!” Stiles blurted, the words startling him. “I mean, I don’t know what I want. But it would take you too long to get here. He’s already nearby. It’s just a matter of me calling him, which requires having his phone number, and I will let you know if there’s anything you need to know. Since one of us has to be that kind of person, and you’re not it.” 

There was silence in the other end, and then Scott quietly rattled off the number he had for Theo.

Allison pressed a little closer, squeezing Stiles’ arm in approval. 

“Thanks.” Stiles had scrawled the number on the notepad between the beds, and he hung up on Scott and dialed Theo’s phone number as he spoke to Allison. “I wish ice cream for breakfast was a legitimate thing.” 

Allison snorted. “As long as I’m part of this group, ice cream for every meal is a legitimate thing.”

“Hello?” Theo’s wary voice answered.

“Hey.” Stiles murmured. “This is Stiles. Did you find a place to stay in Seattle, yet?” He picked the pen back up, waiting to dutifully write down where to meet Theo. 

“No - uh, no.” Theo replied, sounding surprised, and suspicious. “Who gave you this number?”

“Scott did.” Stiles frowned. “Look, I know you’re out here to talk to me. Whatever it is, we might as well just get it over with, right? I had planned on going to Pike Place Market and being there all day. Do you want to meet me there, or do you want to meet somewhere else, before they open? I know it’s still early.” 

“I - no. I mean - no, Pike Place is good. I just need to navigate there.” Theo hesitated and then huffed. “I kind of figured I’d be driving around for a few hours until I found you.”

“I was going to let you.” Stiles admitted, smirking. “But you didn’t drive all the way out here for that. And you didn’t even stop to rest, right? You’re probably exhausted?” He grimaced at the realization that his voice had softened as he spoke. “Okay. I’m going to give you the address for the hotel I’m at.” He blurted. “But that’s not an invitation to stay in the room I’m in, it’s just an opportunity to come talk in the lobby.” 

“I figured.” Theo replied. “Okay. Um, just give me a second to pull over so I can get the address down.”

“Sure.” Stiles eyed the hotel’s letterhead, clearing his throat a little. He avoided Allison’s gaze, certain that she was going to mock him as soon as he hung up; but he was only sure she would do that because it was the sort of thing he would have done to her, if the situation was reversed. 

Allison leaned back in the bed, her lips twitching as she watched Stiles. “I’m coming down there with you.” She told him. “So is Derek, probably.”

“Okay, go ahead.” Theo said suddenly.

Stiles nodded to let Allison know that he had heard her. He read the address off to Theo. “Are you hungry?” He asked, his fingers twisting the corner of the blanket at his side. “We’ve got leftover pizza.” 

“I mean, I could eat.” Theo replied. “I, uh, you were right when you said I drove straight through.”

“Okay. I’ll warm up some pizza and meet you in the lobby, then.” Stiles said gently. “And bring you a bottle of water. We’ve got plenty of those, too.” He hesitated. “Uh, I'm being nice because I have no idea what the hell this is about.” He blurted. “So... anyway. You didn’t drive all this way for me to be a complete dick, I mean. I’ll see you soon.” 

There was a hint of a smile in Theo’s voice as he replied. “I’ll see you soon.” He said in agreement, and then hung up the phone. 

Stiles hung up and turned to face Allison. “Okay, say whatever you’re going to say while I warm up the pizza.” He murmured, standing up. 

Allison gazed up at him, and then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry that things got so screwy between you and Theo, and that it led to this weird ass ‘not my friend but not my enemy’ thing you have between you.”

Stiles blinked as he looked at her. “Thanks.” He murmured. “I’m such an asshole. I thought you were going to make fun of me.” He put three slices of pizza on a plate and put it in the microwave. “I really need to learn to be nicer.” 

“I mean, originally I was.” Allison admitted. “But… you wouldn’t have spoken to him that way if part of you didn’t still care about him. And that’s kind of a shitty thing to make fun of someone for.” She sat up in bed, watching him. “You aren’t an asshole for assuming correctly what I was going to do, and you’ve got the right to act surprised with what I did do.”

“Okay.” Stiles smiled hesitantly. “Now, one of us needs to wake Derek up. Rock, paper, scissors?” 

Allison’s eyes went wide, and she hesitantly stuck her hands out, one covering the other. 

Stiles did the same thing. “One, two, three, shoot.” He ended with ‘paper’, eyeing Allison’s hands to see what she had thrown.

“Fuck.” Allison cursed, looking down at the clenched fist that represented rock. She looked back up at Stiles hopefully. “Best two out of three?”

“Nope.” Stiles grinned. “But I’ll help you wake him up. This is going to be hilarious, anyway. At least it doesn’t involve punching him in the face, for once.” 

Allison grumbled under her breath and grabbed Stiles’ arm. “Oh, come on,” she demanded, using his arm as leverage to pull herself to her feet.

Stiles walked over to the pull-out couch with Allison, looking down at Derek. “See, usually he’s unconscious because someone or something kicked his ass, and patting his cheek isn’t enough to wake him up. Punching him is the only thing that has ever worked for me, in those situations.” 

“Well, we know he’s knocked out because he actually went to sleep, so do you think that waking him up the normal way will work right now?” Allison asked, sitting on the edge of the pull-out next to Derek as she looked up at Stiles. 

“Yeah, hopefully?” Stiles smiled and glanced at Derek, then leaned over and shook his shoulder. “Hey, Derek? I need your help.” He braced himself for what he was sure would be a punch aimed at his midsection, since he had a feeling Derek wasn’t the sort of guy who liked to be woken up at such an early hour. 

Derek groaned and turned over so that his face was buried in the mattress. “Busy. Sleeping.” He muttered.

Allison giggled, patting his head. “Derek, come on. I’ll spring for breakfast.” She went quiet and looked at Stiles. “Why did I just promise that? I don’t think I have the money to fund Derek’s appetite.”

Stiles laughed. “It’s like, four o’clock. He can have breakfast after we talk to Theo.” He nudged Derek again. “I swear to god, if you don’t get up right now, I’m going to spend all day embarrassing you! Get up! Get up, get up, get up!”

There was a low, rumbling snarl before Derek raised himself up on both hands and glowered at them both. “I grew up with four other brothers and sisters, and five cousins. I will wake you up tomorrow in the most terrifying and obnoxious way possible for this.” He told Stiles. The sleep that had yet to leave his expression, and the way he was squinting made his threat look anything but serious.

Allison stared at Derek for a long moment, and then leaned into Stiles’ side to whisper loudly, “Sleepy Derek is Grumpy Derek. Has he seriously just been sleepy the entire time we’ve known him? That’s adorable.” To Derek, she added, “You’re adorable,” and had the privilege of watching an embarrassed blush cross his face. 

Stiles grinned. “You’d be tired too, if you slept in abandoned train cars like a hobo.” He held a hand out to Derek. “Come on. Look at it this way. You get to see me look more idiotic than usual.”

Derek tilted his head, and then nodded slowly. “Well… I do enjoy watching you make an ass out of yourself.” He admitted, and then sighed. “Alright, fine, I’m up, I’m up.”

Stiles grabbed the plate of pizza slices and a bottle of water, patting his pocket awkwardly with his wrist to make sure he had his room key, before he went down the hall, to the elevator. 

Allison trailed after him in amusement, shaking her head. “What should I be expecting here?” She asked him. “Besides you looking idiotic, apparently?”

“I don’t know?” Stiles glanced over at her. “I just know that when I get around him, it’s like logic goes out the window? I know I shouldn’t trust him. I know he’s only ever interested in his own agenda. But he has this way of making it sound like he actually cares. He capitalized on that when he pretty much ruined our pack. Their pack. I still blame him for that. For it being Scott’s pack, instead of ‘our pack.’” He looked away from her, also avoiding Derek’s gaze as he stared at the elevator buttons. There were a lot of things that he didn’t want to say out loud, about Theo. He figured Derek and Allison would see it for themselves. 

Derek was silent, but stood firmly at Stiles’ side, almost protectively, and seemed to be bracing himself for whatever it was he would witness when they met Theo.

Stiles glanced up when the elevator doors opened, and he saw Theo sitting at a table, near the lobby. He walked toward him, glancing down to make sure he wouldn’t trip over anything. On top of everything else, that was the last thing he was going to need. Not only that, but he was pretty sure that he was practically transparent and that anyone who looked at him could see every thought in his head. 

Theo stood and waved awkwardly at Stiles, his smile tight and uncertain. “Uh, hey. Hi. Good to see you.” He stuttered, rubbing a hand over the back of head. 

Stiles snorted. “No, it’s not.” He shook his head. “But if I expected you to start being honest now, I’m stupid. What are you doing here?” He set the plate and bottle of water down on the table, then stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. 

Theo was silent for a long moment, ignoring the plate of food as he folded his arms on the table and frowned. “So… I found out from Peter that… well, that you and Derek…” he fell silent, his eyes drifting over Allison in surprise. “Uh. You and Derek… and Scott’s ex-girlfriend… got the hell out of Beacon Hills. And… I know it’s probably asking a little too much, but… I don’t suppose there’s any way that I could join you? I’m not going back to Beacon Hills, not for a long time, not ever if I can help it. I don’t belong there. And I thought… maybe I could sort of belong here.”

Stiles stared at Theo for a long moment. “The thing is? I know you.” He said quietly. “And you wouldn’t have showed up here if you were certain that the answer would be no. So I don’t care if it’s one percent or ninety-nine percent, as far as what you thought your chance of hearing a yes was. What I want to know is, why do you think you have a shot?” 

Theo clasped his hands together tightly, staring down at them with a frown. “The thing is -“ he faltered, realizing he was mimicking Stiles, however unintentional it was. “Uh. I mean…” He exhaled. “I don’t. Think I really have a shot, I mean.” He fidgeted, looking unhappy. “I’m… kind of down on my luck right now. I don’t really have a home. I didn’t have any money until Derek’s uncle gave me some. I couldn’t really get out of Beacon Hills at all, and I couldn’t stay. Scott’s uppity ass would never have considered letting me join, whether I helped save his beta or not, and… I get it, I understand that, I don’t blame him for it. Part of me hoped that… and don’t take offense to this… you know what it’s like, kinda. To be Scott McCall’s cast-off.” He looked away awkwardly. “And… honestly, I sort of hoped that, if you remembered that, you’d… remember that we used to be friends? Look, I’m not expecting you to say yes, I damn well know you probably won’t, but I had to try. It’s not like I’ve got anything or anyone else.” He smiled wryly. “Sorta burned all those bridges I had.”

Stiles blinked, realizing a few seconds too late that he hadn’t taken his eyes off of Theo since he was leaving the elevator. He hoped the chimera hadn’t noticed. “I get not wanting to be on your own.” He muttered. “But you could go anywhere and start over, and not have your shitty behavior hanging over your head. Why wouldn’t you just do that?” 

Theo rubbed a hand over his mouth, looking away awkwardly. “Maybe I wanted a second chance.” He snorted at himself. “Or, more realistically, a thirtieth chance.”

Stiles opened his mouth to ask for clarification on what ‘second chance’ Theo was referring to, but he closed his mouth before he could voice the words, shaking his head slightly at himself. He wished that someone else would say something, but he knew that they were deferring to him, since he was the one with the problem. “I’m Scott’s cast-off, as you put it, because of what you did to ruin my friendship with him. It’s snowballed, but you were the flake that started it.” He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms in an effort to stay grounded and not give in too easily, even though he knew he was going to. He wasn’t sure he had explained himself properly to Allison and Derek, despite his attempts at it. He felt like a drug addict who had wandered into the evidence locker of the police station. “But I guess the reason doesn’t matter.” 

Theo chewed on his lower lip and nodded. “You’re right.” He muttered quietly. “That was my fault. I’m the reason I don’t have anywhere to go, I’m the reason you - and they - got up and left. I’m the reason for a lot of terrible shit that went down, and I can’t blame you for not wanting to give me another shot.” He looked at Stiles for a moment, and then smiled wryly, shrugging a shoulder. “I had to try.”

“You can sleep in our hotel room. At least for a few hours.” Stiles murmured. “You look like you need it.” He gestured to the plate. “If you want to eat first, that’s fine. Or you could just come back upstairs with us.” 

Theo looked at Stiles, feeling relieved and exhausted all at once. He grabbed the plate almost frantically, and shoved half a slice of pizza in his mouth, chewing ferociously. “Both?” He blurted, after he’d swallowed.

Stiles nodded. He was tired and angry, resentful and resigned. He hoped that Allison and Derek enjoyed watching him turn into a trainwreck. He snorted, shaking his head in frustration. “Come on.” He waved a hand toward the elevator. 

Theo stood up quickly, stumbling after Stiles with a sideways glance at the other two who were with him.

Allison folded her arms over her chest, staring back at Theo in uncertainty. She’d stayed silent throughout the back-and-forth between Theo and Stiles, and as much as a part of her wanted to throttle the other boy, the rest of her was worried about Stiles, and worried about his reaction to Theo’s presence. He’d been right, and Allison genuinely couldn’t tell if Theo was being honest, or being ‘honest’ to be manipulative. She looked at Derek expectantly.

Derek glanced down at her, shaking his head briefly. He wasn’t going to get into it now. He wanted to wait to speak with Stiles once they were back in their room, and there weren’t a million strangers milling around who could eavesdrop on them.

Stiles waited until everyone was in the elevator with him before he pressed the button for their floor, stepping back and letting his gaze drift from one face to another. He mouthed ‘sorry’ to Allison and Derek, shrugging one shoulder before he looked away. He slid his palms over his denim-clad thighs, trying and failing not to think too much about the fact that his offer to Theo would undoubtedly result in the chimera sleeping in his bed, since he hadn’t bothered asking Derek or Allison if they would mind sharing. 

Allison drifted over to him without a second thought, and then deliberately slid her arms around him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder with a sigh. One hand squeezed his side, and the other stroked his back up and down gently, in what she hoped was comforting. She hated to see him so brought down by the other man’s presence, and part of her felt quite like a werewolf herself, wanting to snarl at Theo while putting herself between him and Stiles.

Stiles put an arm around Allison, leaning back against the wall of the elevator and closing his eyes. In what felt like no time at all, the doors opened and he took a deep breath and walked out, still keeping Allison with him as he got his room key out of his pocket and opened the door. 

Derek stayed behind Stiles and Allison both, glancing toward Theo occasionally and resisting the urge to look put-out when the other man barely looked amused. He shook his head and kept pace at Stiles’ back protectively. He didn’t think Theo was a physical threat right now, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

Allison sighed softly, rubbing her cheek lightly against Stiles’ shoulder as they stepped inside the room. She didn’t know what gluing herself to Stiles would do, but hopefully it would send a message to Theo that if he hurt Stiles, he’d have three occasionally violent people to contend with, and not just one.

Theo watched as Derek and Allison postured, and couldn’t help but smile to himself, ducking his head down to keep it hidden. He got the message clearly - ‘break Stiles, and we break you’ - and wasn’t sure how to signal that he was just fucking happy to lay down in a bed and not the front seat of his truck.

Stiles gave Allison a grateful look, then let go of her and shoved his room key back into his pocket, rearranging some things he had scattered across his bed before he looked up at Theo. “Go ahead.” He nodded. “We’ve got a few hours before we’re going anywhere, anyway.” 

“Thanks.” Theo said quietly, nodding his head at Stiles. He finished up the last few bites of the last slice of pizza, and then wiped his hands on his jeans before he collapsed on the mattress, his feet hanging off of the edge. He was asleep minutes later.

Allison stared at Theo hard - so hard she thought she could potentially burn a hole into the back of his head - before looking at Stiles. “We could short-sheet him.”

Stiles laughed. “We could, but I was actually thinking...” He shook his head. “Never mind. I think I might go take a shower.” 

Allison bounced on the balls of her feet, grabbing his hands. “No, no, no, tell me - us. Tell us. Come on, no secrets.” She smiled winningly up at him.

“I’m tired.” Stiles remarked, figuring that was enough to explain himself. “I’ll just sleep later, when he’s gone.” He bit his lip. “That’s what’s happening, right? You guys are going to tell him to fuck off?” 

“It depends on what you want.” Derek spoke up, eyeing Stiles in concern. “Do you want him here? If you do, we won’t say a word, but if you want him gone, I’ll throw him out the window.”

Stiles laughed again. “I want him here.” He admitted quietly. “But that’s just proof that I’m a dumbass.” He glanced at Theo, then looked back up at Derek. He thought about saying something clever, but he didn’t feel like it. “It’s like - I’ve always liked breaking rules. The nogitsune probably chose me because I might as well have been a second layer of skin for it. But Theo made me feel like it was all okay, that I had been down that path. And I know that it’s not. It doesn’t change the fact that I’d willingly go right back. And we’ve talked about this. Maybe it’s who I’m supposed to be now. I don’t know. But it’s a problem that I don’t necessarily see as a problem. It’s a feedback loop issue, at this point.” He tilted his head back a little, thinking. “I’m probably going to offend you in trying to explain it like this.” He began. “But imagine that Kate setting your house on fire had been for a sort of valid reason? It doesn’t make it okay, but maybe setting it on fire prevents it from, I don’t know, being overrun by a massive swarm of bugs that are like, a cross between hornets, mosquitoes and termites. With wolfsbane in their stingers. Sure, it’s shitty that the house and most of the people in it burned, but... this is getting too far away from me. Theo sucks at planning, but he was terrified and thought his best shot was to join Scott’s pack - until he realized that Scott’s idea of dealing with bloodthirsty enemies is to scold them and ask them to leave. I mean, unless he’s got a personal stake in someone dying, and then all bets are off.” He glanced at Theo again. “In some ways, I trust Theo more than I trust Scott, since I know I can’t trust him.” 

There was silence for a long beat, and then Derek was nodding. “I think I can understand that.” He said quietly. “And while I doubt that I ever would trust someone who’s made a habit of wrecking my life - your life, and the things you’ve been through are different than my experiences. I can understand you, and I can’t understand why you’d trust him.” He took a deep breath, and looked at Allison.

Allison fidgeted, looking back at Derek, before hugging out a small laugh and shaking her head. “If he leads you down the dark and winding road, I’m shooting him. A lot.”

“Good.” Stiles murmured. “Thank you.” He glanced at his shoes. “Don’t judge me,” he muttered, toeing them off and laying down on the empty side of his bed.

“No judging.” Allison promised, though she looked like she was seconds from protesting quite a bit.

Derek held his hand up, glancing at her and shaking his head. “Go lay down.” He told her. “I’m going back to sleep. Two heathens interrupted me earlier.”


	3. In the Daylight

When Stiles woke up, it was just before eight a.m., and he stayed where he was for a little while, lost in a daydream where nothing went wrong and everything was normal. He grimaced and got up, reality and biology taking precedence. 

Theo shifted on the other side of the bed, letting out a low murmur before nuzzling the pillow. Seconds after that, he slowly raised his head and looked around in confusion, before recalling where he was. Scrubbing both hands through his hair, he sat up and let his legs fall over the edge of the mattress with a sigh. Looking around, he spotted Allison curled up underneath her sheets, the dark fan of hair spread across the pillow her only identifying feature. He saw Derek stretched out on the pull-out, making Theo feel self-conscious even while he slept. Finally, he turned his head to look at Stiles, and gave the other man a hesitant smile. “Morning.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely what time of day it is.” Stiles muttered. He glanced over his shoulder at Theo. “I’m using the bathroom, but it’ll be free, if you need a shower. After that, we need to talk about whether or not you’re staying.” He went into the bathroom, returning a moment later with his teeth brushed. He eyed the room around him, then relaxed when there was no bloody carnage in sight. 

Theo stood up, glancing uncertainly at Stiles before he sighed and went into the bathroom. “I won’t be long.” He mumbled. He’d spoken the truth, as fifteen minutes later, he was walking out, wearing the same clothes he’d gone in wearing, but noticeably cleaner beneath them. His hair, still wet, hung lankly over his forehead, and he looked at Stiles wearily. “I’m not going to make you let me stay.” He muttered. “I can figure out what to do. I just - thanks for letting me stay the night.”

“Well, it was just a few hours.” Stiles shrugged one shoulder. “I still don’t understand why you would come looking for me, instead of just going off on your own. Peter gave you money, you said? So why not just use it to go anywhere else? Why come here?” 

Theo twisted his fingers together. “I… I wanted - you’re…” He trailed off, letting out a frustrated noise before dropping back down onto the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. “Fuck. I can’t - I wanted you to fucking guide me, okay? I obviously can’t trust myself with the ideas in my head, but I can trust you. To, you know, call me out on my bullshit, and tell me hard truths, and fucking… get me to get my ass in gear.” He glowered at the floor. “I’m lost. I’m… fucking lost. And I don’t know how to make my way out of the mess I made, and the only person I trust to drag me back out, kicking and screaming, is the one person who would probably enjoy watching me rot there.” He lifted his eyes to Stiles, and shrugged a shoulder. “So… yeah. I came here because… I wanted you to be my fucking Yoda.”

Stiles’ lips quirked up and he burst out laughing, stunned. “Me? Because... holy shit. Okay. I can do that.” He blurted. “We’re going to start by getting coffee for these two.” He gestured to Allison and Derek. “Because they’re going to murder me if I wake them up without it. You’ll just be collateral damage, then.” He glanced at the bed, then sat down by Theo and started putting his shoes on. 

Theo watched him, blinking steadily. “What, that’s it?” He blurted. “Just - really?”

“No.” Stiles admitted, glancing over at Theo. “I don’t like any of this.” He said bluntly. “But that’s because the only you I’m familiar with is the one who murdered my best friend and drove a wedge between me and my girlfriend. Sucks for you that Scott’s death didn’t take. I get why it all happened, but there could’ve been a conversation that would’ve negated that entire thing. I would have helped you get stronger. Scott didn’t have to die for no reason. I think... I think it fucked him up. He’s worse than he’s ever been. I get that a lot of people want to overlook his flaws, but I knew they were there. And what I did for him... dragging him down, getting him to do shit like go look for a corpse in the middle of the night? That’s what you were, for me. But worse, since we weren’t looking for dead bodies, we were out making them. I already told Allison and Derek that if I start slipping because of you, they should either kill me or run. Or both. I don’t need that. I don’t need you. But you need me? Then I can be your Yoda.” 

Theo stared at him silently, and then slowly nodded. “Okay. Yeah.” He said quietly. “I can - I won’t slip. I won’t… make you do anything.” He jerked his thumb toward the other two. “Especially not if they’re on patrol. Allison looks at me like she wants to make my insides into a hat. Derek looks like he’d be happy bathing in them.”

“Yeah, I did some explaining about who you were.” Stiles nodded, smiling hesitantly as he stood up. “We had ten hours to prepare for your arrival. My dad didn’t give you the twelve you asked for. But he at least gave you two hours.” 

Theo smiled crookedly and shrugged. “I figured asking for twelve was too much. I just wanted him to give me a shot to get here without you taking off before I could.”

“I should have called you sooner.” Stiles mused. “But I had to call Scott, just to get your phone number. And well, we’re not really talking right now. Though he wishes we were. That’s his problem.” Even though he was sure he had the room key, he checked his pocket and started walking toward the door. He wondered if he had somehow built up his interest in Theo, as a twisted way of deterring himself from getting close. He had never been good at expressing attraction to anyone, as evidenced by the fact that Derek probably still had no idea that Stiles had been interested in him for a little while, and had been the catalyst for Stiles realizing he was bisexual. Theo being close, instead of just a concept of a person, was far less intimidating. 

Theo hummed, frowning as he followed Stiles. “Uh, yeah, I heard about that. Well, I heard from Peter, who… I guess heard everything secondhand, I don’t know.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “So… Lydia, huh?”

“Yeah.” Stiles opened the door, turning to face Theo as he waited for him to step out into the hallway. “I was kind of erased from reality and nobody remembered me. She had to force herself to remember something, to open a rift and pull me out. But I guess my connection with her wasn’t that important? She kind of has a habit of that.” He snorted. “Pulling her boyfriends out of danger and then forgetting they exist, while not being forced into it by some mystical force. Jackson had the money to get himself to London. I only got as far as the other side of the country, but I still expected to get a phone call if things went to hell. Scott, Malia and Lydia decided it wasn’t worth it to call me. So I helped deal with shit anyway, then I broke up with her and left, and nobody called me or tried to stop me. Allison and Derek are with me because they’re sick of that shit, too.” 

Theo was silent for a moment, and then huffed, shaking his head. “Man. In grade school, there were people who fucking tripped all the hell over themselves just for a chance to talk to Lydia. And you ended up dating her, and broke up with her.” He looked down at the ground. “They pulled me out of hell. Liam, and his little girlfriend, I mean. They thought I still had that, uh, electricity shit that I got when I… well, when Josh died.” He frowned. “They wanted to use me to trap a Ghost Rider, and when they found out that I didn’t have the electromagnetic whatever anymore, they wanted to send me back… under.” He snorted. “Only reason they didn’t was because I asked about you.” He avoided looking at Stiles, feeling a little embarrassed at the admission that he’d asked after him, despite not knowing that Stiles had been taken by the Riders. “I mean, hell. I was literally in hell. It’s not like I knew that you’d been kidnapped, or erased, or whatever.”

“Aren’t you an atheist?” Stiles snorted. “I thought believing in hell was kind of impossible for you.” He gave Theo a curious look as he waited for the elevator. “You remembered me, though? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that you’d forget me as soon as you were pulled free? I mean, I can’t say I know how all of it works, but how...” 

Theo looked at him helplessly and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe people that knew you, that were… somewhere else… before you got taken, maybe the Ghost Riders’ memory thing doesn’t affect them. I just… asked where you were, and as soon as I said your name, Liam’s stupid little face lit up like the Fourth of July.” 

“That sounds about right.” Stiles murmured. He glanced at Theo, lost in thought. “So, in all the years of you going through sociopath training, did you ever get to watch tv? Movies? I mean, other than Star Wars.” 

“Well, yeah.” Theo replied. “I mean, the Doctors were monsters, but they weren’t _monsters_. I had to learn how to fit in when they finally let me come back up for air.”

“Okay.” Stiles nodded. He personally thought that Theo might as well have been raised by wolves, for lack of a better expression, but he decided not to bother voicing that opinion. It was probably clear enough, anyway. “What did you watch?” 

Grimacing, Theo shrugged a little. “Kind of a little bit of everything. Sitcoms, dramas… there are way too many freaking procedural cop shows. Sometimes, I literally had to escape those by putting on Friends.” He looked at Stiles wearily. “I hate Friends.”

Stiles laughed. “Yeah, it’s only good in small doses. When nothing else is on and you don’t mind the blatant racism, sexism, homophobia and all the other bullshit.” He smiled. “What’s your favorite show?” 

“Speaking of other bullshit.” Theo joked. “Uh… right now, it’s Game of Thrones. I’ve been watching The Tudors, too, but the other one is just… It kind of pisses me off, actually, that it starts off so fucking slow and then jams a freaking hook in you.”

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, a lot of shows are like that. We’ll have a lot of downtime, driving around the country. We might as well pick a show and start watching it.” 

“What have you watched?” Theo asked. “I mean… what’s caught your attention, that the three of you could watch?”

“Well, I don’t know if Derek’s familiar with it, but Allison and I like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Stiles remarked, his lips twitching as he wondered if Theo would draw the same conclusion that Stiles had, about the characters and how they related to people in Beacon Hills. 

Theo snorted. “So are you Buffy, then?” He asked, his own lips moving into a grin.

Stiles grinned back. “Yeah.” He remarked. “Why? You think differently?” He had been moving on autopilot through the lobby, down a corridor toward the coffee shop that was attached to the building. He got into line, but turned sideways to look at Theo. It had been a quick leap in logic for Theo to make, unless he had already given it thought. Stiles gave Theo a curious look, wondering how the other man had drawn the same conclusion that Stiles had. 

“Well… you might make a hard case for Xander. They called him the heart of their group, right? You’ve definitely got the heart. But you’re a leader, not a follower, and Xander follows.” Theo shrugged. “The only real leader of Buffy’s group is Buffy. If you ignore season seven, anyway.”

Stiles stared at Theo, feeling like he might as well have never seen him before. “This is the kind of thing I’m talking about.” He blurted. “If you had been genuine with me like this, I would have had your back.” He bit his lip. “I do see the similarities I have to Xander, but he was kind of a cretin. Useless. I’d like to think I’m not useless.” 

“You’re not.” Theo muttered, shaking his head. “If Scott didn’t have his powers, he’d be the useless one. You’ve never been useless.”

Stiles laughed. “So Scott is Xander, then?” He hesitated for a few seconds, moving forward with the rest of the line. “Who does that make you?” 

Theo snorted. “Spike, probably? Or worse, Andrew.”

Stiles opened his mouth to argue, but reconsidered. Andrew had been part of a group that was hellbent on destroying Buffy and her friends, and Stiles had to admit to himself that it was a relevant comparison. “You’re not that out of touch with reality.” He said finally. “So you’re not that much like Andrew. And you’re not like Spike. Sorry, that goes to somebody else.” 

Theo looked annoyed. “Well, who the fuck is Spike, if not me?” He blurted, sounding put-out.

“Peter Hale.” Stiles said automatically. “Because even though we hate each other, we put it aside to deal with something, for Derek’s sake.” He laughed, moving forward and glancing at the menu board again, before he spoke to the barista. “One small hazelnut latte, one large vanilla cappuccino, and one medium black coffee. Six... no, sorry. Eight chocolate croissants.” He glanced at Theo. “What kind of coffee do you want?” 

Theo blinked and looked at the menu board. “Uh… a medium black coffee?” He requested, looking around to see if there was a station for cream and sugar. He glanced back at Stiles. “So… if Peter is Spike, are we talking, like… Season Two and part of Season Four Spike? Or do you think he’s secretly in love with you?”

Stiles laughed. “If he is, it’s one hell of a secret.” He shook his head. “No, I think his only emotional tether is Malia, though he’s kinda getting there with Derek. Or he was, last I knew.” He paused, eyeing Theo and wondering if the other man had been trying to tell him something, by insisting that he was like Spike. “You don’t have to get a plain black coffee.” He said, instead. “You could have picked out whatever.” 

Theo shrugged. “It’s alright. I’ve kind of gotten used to ordering on the cheaper side. I got lucky and found a five the day I ran into Peter and… I mean, it wasn’t my money, so I just got a plain coffee with it and used the rest as a tip.”

“Okay, but if you could get anything to drink?” Stiles asked. “What would you want?” 

Theo furrowed his brows and shrugged. “I don’t know… one of those iced things that’s, like, ninety percent sugar and cream?”

“What flavor?” Stiles waved a hand toward the barista as he gave Theo an expectant look. 

Theo looked back at the barista, and then at Stiles before letting out an exhausted laugh and shaking his head. “Uh… I don’t know. Chocolate. I guess.”

Stiles smiled. “Okay!” He nodded to the woman on the other side of the counter. “Instead of that second medium black coffee, can I get a chocolate iced cappuccino? If it’s too late, you can just add it on. Someone will drink it.” He grinned. 

The barista looked at him in amusement and nodded her head. “On it.”

Theo looked at Stiles, shaking his head. “You’re fucking ridiculous.”

“I’m not the one who drove twelve straight hours to come find me.” Stiles retorted. “I’m pretty sure that qualifies you.” 

“There were breaks!” Theo protested. “I still had to go to the bathroom, and sleep, it wasn’t a straight twelve hours!”

“I’m so terribly sorry for being wrong.” Stiles said dryly. “You couldn’t have had more than a half-hour nap, to have gotten here when you did.” 

Theo folded his arms over his chest petulantly. “Oh, bite me.” He mumbled, scowling at the counter. 

Stiles rested his weight on his heels as he leaned back a little. After a few seconds, he rested a hand on Theo’s shoulder and leaned down to bite him. He stood up straight, fighting the urge to laugh as he watched their drinks being made. 

Theo’s eyes went wide and round, and his gaze whipped toward Stiles in shock. “What. The actual fuck.”

“You said to bite you. I bit you.” Stiles said easily. 

“It wasn’t meant literally!” Theo blurted. “Jesus, it’s like you’re five again!”

Stiles laughed. “I forgot that I did that. Mrs. Marshall said she was going to recommend I get held back a year if I didn’t stop biting everyone.” 

Theo snorted. “She only said that because she thought it would get you to behave. And then you bit her and your dad had to go in for a conference.”

“Yeah, and I wasn’t allowed to go to any birthday parties or anything for two weeks.” Stiles murmured. “It was pure hell. I was terrified that if I did anything else wrong, I would miss out on trick-or-treating.” He shrugged. “Nobody’s going to ground me now, though.” 

“Well, yeah, I mean… you’re an adult now, and you’re out of the house, so… it’s not like your dad’s gonna call up and tell you to get your ass home.” Theo replied quietly.

“Yeah.” Stiles grinned. “And I can bite whoever I want now, too.” He grabbed the drink carrier and the bag of croissants, then started walking toward the hallway. 

“Go bite Derek. Or Allison. Don’t put your teeth near me.” Theo snorted, following after him.

“Too late, I already did.” Stiles smirked. He stopped near the elevator, glancing back at Theo. “Can you hit the ‘up’ button?” Without waiting for a response, he continued. “Besides, I think you’re the only person in class I didn’t bite, back then.” 

“Why is that, anyway?” Theo asked, poking the button for the elevator before glancing at Stiles, raising his eyebrows. 

“Because the teacher and my dad finally stopped me before I could get to you, obviously.” Stiles laughed. “Maybe if I had bitten you, you wouldn’t have turned into such a jackass.” 

“So you’re saying that your bite has supernatural powers?” Theo smirked, eyes glinting as the elevator arrived with a ding.

Stiles grinned. “Maybe it does.” He shrugged awkwardly, not wanting to spill the drinks or drop the bag in his other hand. When he got into the elevator, he realized a potential problem. “You’re going to have to take something from me.” He told Theo. “Because the alternative is for you to get the room key out of my pocket.” 

Theo snorted. “Gimme the cups.” He replied, reaching out. “I’ll hang on to these. Least I can do, since you bought my drink for me. And you’re letting me stay with you.”

“Yeah.” Stiles held the drink tray out to Theo. He pulled the room key out of his pocket, frowning to himself as he looked back up at Theo. “Why the hell, of all the people in Sunnydale, would you think you were like Andrew?” 

“Tried to be a villain - epically failed. Am now on the outs with ‘Buffy’ and trying not to irritate everyone around me. On purpose, anyway.” Theo shrugged. 

Stiles lifted his index finger. “Anya.” He raised the second one. “Willow.” A third finger. “Spike, even though I already said that’s a big no.” And his pinky. “Faith.” His thumb. “Angel, though that’s also a nope, because Derek. Whether he knows that or not.” 

“If he does, he probably hates everything.” Theo smiled faintly. “So who do you think I am, then, if not Andrew or Spike?”

“Faith.” Stiles glanced at Theo to see his reaction. 

Theo blinked. “You think I’m Darth Buffy?” He asked. His head tilted to the side. “Huh.”

“You tried to convince me that it was in our best interest to keep a dead body a secret.” Stiles pointed out. “And you spent a lot of time telling me that I was wasting my time, trying to follow Scott’s rules.” 

“Yeah. Yup. There it is.” Theo nodded. “I see it.”

Stiles laughed. He wondered if that had been a little too easy, and once again reminded himself that Theo hadn’t been honest with him before. He glanced over at Theo again. “I swear to god, if you try to look for a way for us to switch bodies, I’ll stab you in the throat.” 

“I wasn’t even thinking that!” Theo blurted, wide-eyed. “It never even crossed my mind!” He made a face. “Besides, you have a werewolf and a hunter on your side, pretty sure it wouldn’t take long for either of them to figure it out if I tried.”

“Oh, okay.” Stiles rolled his eyes. “That’s the real reason you wouldn’t do it. Not because it’s wrong...” He paused, grimacing at his choice of words, “but because you don’t want to get murdered?” 

Theo glanced at him, shifting awkwardly. “Baby steps?”

“Yeah.” Stiles murmured. He walked out of the elevator when the doors opened, holding an arm out to make sure that Theo got out of the elevator without the doors closing on him. He knew that it wouldn’t hurt him or anything, but he hated the way that the doors seemed to have a mind of their own. “I’m not going to say that we can just forget the past.” He licked his lips, thinking. “But we’ll just try to, uh, chalk all of that up to being Beacon Hills kind of crap. It’s a hellmouth.” He shrugged. “Normal rules don’t apply.” 

Theo huffed out a small laugh. “Those words sound familiar.” He replied quietly. “And also… pretty wise. And - seriously, is Beacon Hills a hellmouth? Because Peter said the same thing and if it’s true, that makes so much fucking sense.”

“Okay, the fact that Peter watches the same show that I watch makes me a little sick to my stomach.” Stiles remarked. “But I mean, it’s possible. Some places are just more - I don’t know, mystical? Than others. Look at the Bermuda Triangle, you know? People kept going missing there. And Atlantis just disappeared entirely. Lots of towns were erased by the Wild Hunt. Maybe there’s more to it than we even thought of.” 

“Huh.” Theo said quietly, thinking it over. “I guess that makes sense, yeah.” He exhaled, and then looked at Stiles. “That is something exceptionally heavy and I don’t even know if I want to think about it.”

“So don’t, then.” Stiles unlocked the hotel room door and kicked it to open it a little wider. He set the croissants down on the counter and ran a hand over his face. The urge to call Scott or Lydia was still pretty strong, and he had been fighting himself on it since he left Beacon Hills. The call he made to Scott, to get Theo’s number, had been all too familiar and somehow, made him want to throw up. Getting over an ex was supposed to be somewhat easy. Nobody he knew had ever given advice on how to get over a former best friend who might as well have been an extension of himself. 

Theo followed him inside and set the cups of coffee down on the table beside the croissants and looked at the lumps on the pull-out couch and the bed that were Derek and Allison. He looked at Stiles again. “If Derek is Angel, who’s Allison?” He asked, his eyes flickering over Stiles’ face and somehow reading the mood that had come over the other man.

Stiles gave Theo a grateful smile. “I’d say Kendra, but that’s not right. And she’s sure as hell not Kennedy, given that I don’t want to smack the holy hell out of her. I’m not sure there’s a character that suits her, actually.” He opened the bag and got a couple of croissants for himself, then put two on a plate for Theo, before he picked up his drink from the carrier and sat down to eat. 

“Probably a good thing.” Theo said, sitting down across from him. “Anyone else would take one look at her and say she was Buffy, too. Well. She’s not Cordelia.”

“No, that’s Lydia. By half, anyway. Lydia’s like Willow and Cordelia. Willdelia.” Stiles snorted. “But never, ever tell her I said that.” 

“Like I talk to her on a regular basis anyway?” Theo scoffed. “She never gave me the time of day when we were kids, and then I tried to… whatever. It’s not like it would make a difference now.”

“Well, she quit talking to me after I had sex with her, so at least you don’t have to worry about performance issues.” Stiles said bluntly. 

“Fair point.” Theo shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. “So. Are they just going to lay in bed all day?”

“Nah, I’ll wake them up in a minute.” Stiles shrugged. “Are you that eager to have a couple of complete strangers staring at you with contempt in their eyes?” He teased. “I mean, I figured you might be a masochist, I just didn’t realize it was that bad.” He glanced toward Allison and Derek, then got up from his seat and walked over to Derek, shaking his shoulder to wake him up. “Hey, I got you coffee!” 

There was a loud, frustrated growl. “Why is it _me_ that you keep waking up like this?! Wake Allison up, dammit!”

Theo snorted out a delighted-sounding laugh.

“I will, but I know you need the extra time!” Stiles retorted, then crossed the room and shook Allison’s shoulder, smiling to himself. “I have coffee and croissants!” He called out to her.

Allison jerked up and looked around wildly, eyes round. “Coffee?” She repeated, looking up at Stiles. “Chocolate?” She added hopefully.

“Chocolate croissants.” Stiles nodded. “I figured you wanted a vanilla cappuccino. Derek gets a plain black coffee, but lucky for him, there are two of those.” 

Allison keened, throwing herself at him. “Marry me and have my babies.” She requested. 

Stiles laughed. “Did you even go to school in Paris? That’s not how things work.” He smiled. “Besides, if you’re going to propose, I’d better at least get a ring out of it.” 

Allison grinned at him. “You’ll get the biggest ever diamond. Flashy and shiny and made just for you.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Soon as I get my coffee, I’ll start working on making you a kept man.”

Stiles gestured to the drink carrier, on the counter. “Yours is the large one.” He smiled at her. “And my ring size is eight.” 

Allison beamed at him, sliding off the bed. “Love you, hubby.” She practically ran toward her drink, inhaling the smell before exhaling happily. 

“Damn.” Theo muttered. “Never met anyone that loves coffee so much that she proposes marriage.”

“Well, now you have.” Stiles remarked. “And I’m just as bad. Most couples fight about money, and that’s why they get divorced. We’ll probably argue about coffee.” He winked at Allison. “As long as she doesn’t come at me with weapons, I think it’ll be okay.” 

“Mm.” Allison hummed around a swallow of coffee. “That’ll only happen if you cheat on me.” She told him, her lips twitching.

Theo snorted, laughing. “He’s not that dumb.”

“Yeah, cheating isn’t something I’d ever do. Not even hypothetically.” Stiles agreed. “There’s not ever gonna be a ‘free pass’ list, either. I mean, I actually did give it thought, at one point.” He glanced at Theo, smirking. “Friends episodes. Anyway, let’s say the impossible happens and somebody on the list of my significant other has sex with them. Even if they honestly tell me that it’s the worst sex they ever had, I’ll never be able to look at them again and not think about how they had sex with someone who’s practically a demigod, by their standards. And I’m assuming that it would be the same thing for them, if someone cared enough about me.” 

Theo shook his head. “Only relationship experience I’ve had was Tracy.” He muttered quietly. 

“I had Scott. And then Isaac. And the weird stalking thing with Matt.” Allison muttered as she curled up next to Stiles, tucking her legs underneath her and watching as Derek finally gave up on sleep and rumbled to his feet. “Stiles had a front row seat to the travesty that was my relationship with Scott - sorry for that, by the way - and Isaac was just an all-around mistake. But mistake or not, I never would’ve cheated on either of them, even when Scott’s wolf-brain freaked out and thought I would.” She fiddled with her coffee cup for a moment. “There’s that thing that people say, that… people tend to base their relationships on their parents’. For all the troubles that my parents dealt with, the one thing they definitely did have was a good marriage.” She murmured softly. “They loved each other, more than anyone except me. But I still wouldn’t want any relationship I have in the future to be based off of what they had. Loving each other, loving me, wasn’t enough for my mom to stay.” She didn’t sound bitter as she spoke, just resigned.

“That was something else entirely.” Stiles shook his head. He didn’t feel like getting into the details in front of Theo, out of respect for Allison. He decided to change the subject back to something a little more light-hearted. “So, what’s a good day for you?” 

Theo laughed, glancing toward Derek. “Well, watching Grumpy over there try to act human when he wakes up is a highlight.”

Derek growled lowly. “Shut up.”

“Okay, I wasn’t talking to you.” Stiles rolled his eyes, but he smiled. “I’m asking Allison when we’re getting married.” 

Allison took another sip of her coffee, her eyes sparkling at Stiles from over the rim. “Well, it’ll take a few hours for my dad and your dad to get here.” She pointed out. “So how about tomorrow? We can go to the Space Needle and Derek can be your best man. Or my best man. Or he can officiate, whatever.”

Derek blinked warily at both of them. “Wait, what?”

“Come on, try to keep up.” Stiles grinned. “Allison asked me to marry her and I said yes.” 

“We don’t have rings yet, but I figured we can probably find a really nice pawn store that sells high-end stuff.” Allison looked at Stiles. “I promise I’ll find you the best ring.”

Derek stared at them both, and then exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “I need more sleep. Next time you wake me up, Stiles, you’re getting dragged into the bed with me.”

Stiles stared blankly back at Derek. “I just got done saying that I’m not going to cheat on anybody. Besides, you slept all night and half of this morning. I think you’ll be fine.” 

“I’m still a growing werewolf, I need as much sleep as I can get.” Derek deadpanned. “And Christ, I meant just sleeping. I don’t cheat, either.”

Stiles knew that Allison’s proposal had been a joke - at least, mostly - but he found himself wondering if they could make it work. He eyed his coffee cup and couldn’t decide if he needed more or less caffeine in his system. “Derek, how much more sleep do you actually need? Because I want to go to Pike Place Market, but if you’re going to be knocked out for another couple of hours, I might as well find something else to do.” 

Derek wrapped his hand around his coffee and took a sip, studying Stiles for a moment. “I think I can be fully awake after both of these coffees.” He reasoned. “What do you have in mind?”

“For myself, or for everyone?” Stiles sighed. “Dude. One more time. Pike. Place. Market. Otherwise, I was just gonna wander around by myself. Probably go hit the treadmill or something.” 

Derek shook his head. “I meant, what do you have in mind at Pike Place.” He squinted at Stiles for a moment, like he was reading something in the younger man’s expression, and then said, “Never mind. Of course I’ll go.”

“Okay.” Stiles felt like face-planting onto his bed, frustrated by the way that his day was going. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. Instead of venting his frustration, the way he usually would, he finished his coffee and croissants, then went into the bathroom to wash his face. 

Derek followed after him, a few moments later. “Hey.” He murmured, keeping his voice low. “Sorry I was making you repeat yourself. There’s a possibility I may have gotten too much sleep.” He smiled crookedly.

“It’s not a big deal.” Stiles muttered. “I think this is just one of my bad days. It’ll pass. Don’t think that it has anything to do with you. It doesn’t. I keep wanting to call Scott and Lydia, and I know not to bother. It would be an improvement to my week if I did actually marry Allison out of freaking nowhere, but that’s pretty much guaranteed to end in divorce because I’m bound to get on her nerves, the way I’m feeling. I’m going to just be a cactus for like, I don’t know? A year?” He snorted. 

Derek snorted softly. “I’m going to say something about Scott McCall, and I need you to listen to me carefully, okay?” He said gently, moving until he was right in front of Stiles. “I know he’s your best friend - was your best friend - and I know he can be a good person, but he’s just that - a person. A deeply flawed one. And I know you know this, too. I still don’t know how he achieved True Alpha status, given that his motivations don’t always line up with what other people believe to be ‘good.’ He wrote me off the second I appeared in front of you both, because he didn’t want to be a werewolf, because he wanted to date Allison, and because I advised against it. I know my own experiences with an Argent colored my judgment, and that I saw history repeating itself with the way Scott was acting, but I really was trying to look out for him. He dismissed me and ignored everything I said because it wasn’t what he wanted to hear; and he did the same thing to you, even though he’d known you longer, and knew you had his best interests at heart. He’s stubborn, and selfish, and while the stubbornness is a good quality for an alpha, usually, the selfishness isn’t. I really won’t be surprised if his pack falls apart after too long, now that he’s lost the heart.” He poked Stiles gently in the chest. “He doesn’t think of the bigger picture, and now that he doesn’t have you, I don’t believe he’ll succeed as he is much longer, because even when he wouldn’t look at what was necessary, you did.” He rubbed a hand over his beard and exhaled. “I know it sucks, this break between you two, but this is on him, Stiles. You did nothing but try to be there for your pack, and he deliberately excluded you. I’ve still got your back. So does Allison, and if Theo proves to be trustworthy, I’m sure he will, too.”

“Why does everyone think I’m the heart?” Stiles demanded, sighing. “Whatever, I guess. I mean, thank you? I’m too much of a pessimist to be the kind of person you’re describing, but it’s okay. I guess you don’t know me that well, anyway.” 

“I know you kept Scott from falling apart when he first turned.” Derek pointed out. “And I know that you’re the one I came to when Kate shot me with wolfsbane.” He scratched at the back of his head. “I think the reason people think you’re the heart is because you’re the one who’s wholly invested. You didn’t have to help me, anytime I demanded it. You didn’t have to take care of my betas, but you did. You figured out what Scott was, and you researched it until you knew what you had to do to help him.” He trailed off, and then shrugged. “You care. You care a lot. Who else would’ve been able to pull Scott, Lydia, Jackson, Allison, and my betas together, to even try to make them work together? I was the alpha for barely under a year, and they didn’t listen to me half as well as they listened to you.”

Stiles shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t generally shut up until I get my own way.” He pointed out. “Speaking of, do you want to get going now?” He smiled. 

Derek smiled back, clapping a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “Let’s go.” He agreed, nodding.


	4. Following the Neon Signs

Stiles yawned as he walked back into the hotel room, hours later. He had his arms full of things he had purchased from the various vendor stalls, and he had made more than one trip to prevent himself from having to carry too many bags at once. He eyed his bed, shaking his head at himself. “I might need a second suitcase.” He muttered, glancing at Theo, Derek and Allison. “Who the hell let me buy all of this?” 

“... you did.” Derek pointed out. “I wasn’t going to be the one to tell you no. Half the stuff you bought was keepsakes for you, and part of it was for your dad.”

Allison sat on the edge of the bed, looking thoughtful. “If it gets really bad, my dad has storage lockers he keeps in every state. I can grab the info for one of them, and we can lock your stuff up until we happen to make our way back?”

“Nah, I have a plan for everything.” Stiles smiled. “I’m fine, really. I probably bought too much yarn, considering I don’t even know what I'm going to do with it.” 

Allison looked at him hopefully. “Scarves? Especially if we start heading east, soon.”

“Yeah. I mean, I kind of thought so?” Stiles explained. “But I don’t know how to knit or crochet, or anything. I guess I might as well figure it out.” He snorted. “I hope you guys like handmade crap.” He grimaced at his phrasing. “Anyway, I did get some knitting needles and crochet hooks, so I’ll have plenty to do on these long drives.” 

Theo was silent for a minute. He still had his truck, but the others were all driving in Stiles’ Jeep. He still didn’t know how included he was, but he was too nervous to bring it up.

Allison was giving Stiles a fond smile. “We’ll love anything you give us.” She told him firmly. 

Stiles smiled back at her, then looked over at Theo. “You wouldn’t make fun of me if I was trying to figure out how to crochet in your truck, right?” 

Theo blinked. “Uh, no. Mostly, I’d be trying to make sure that I stay on the damn road.”

“Are you saying I’d distract you?” Stiles didn’t mean for the words to sound suggestive, but once they were out of his mouth, he couldn’t call them back. 

Theo looked uncertainly around the room, shifting in place. “Um…”

“Stiles, you’re going to make him have an aneurysm.” Derek commented, smiling faintly. “I think you broke him with that question.”

“I wasn’t trying to.” Stiles blurted. He looked around the room again, then fled to the hallway. 

Theo put a hand over his face and sat on the edge of the bed, mindful of the bags that nearly fell. He caught them and tossed them up toward the pillows in one movement. “He’s always been like this. I really think it’s on purpose, at this point. He’s been messing with me all day.” 

Allison squinted at him. “Messing with you how?” she asked, frowning.

“He bit me, this morning.” Theo laughed softly. “He says it was because I said ‘bite me’ in the first place, but he’s not stupid. He knows it wasn’t a request.” 

“Huh.” Allison murmured, gazing toward the door that led to the hallway, where Stiles had fled. “Well… I guess it’s good to see that he’s starting to be comfortable with you again, if he’s going around biting you.”

“I don’t know.” Theo shook his head. “I know I have a lot to make up for. I actually don’t expect forgiveness. I really did think that I’d come here and he’d tell me to fuck off. I did earn that. But I thought that if there was even the slightest chance that he would accept me, I had to at least try. If I’m going to make him uncomfortable, maybe I shouldn’t bother? I don’t really have anywhere else to go, but I guess that just kind of means I can go anywhere.” 

“If Stiles wants you here, then you’re staying here.” Derek said simply. “On the off-chance that he changes his mind, I can think of a few places where you can go, where you’ll be safe and be able to start over again. But until he makes that decision, and as long as he’s actually comfortable with you being here, then you stay.”

“Can I ask you something? It’s really personal, so you can refuse to answer.” Theo murmured, studying Derek and Allison. 

Derek glanced at Allison warily.

Allison looked back at Derek, and then took a deep breath. “Go ahead and ask. But if it’s too personal, we just won’t answer.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Theo nodded. “Do either of you love him? I don’t mean in a familial way.” 

Derek shook his head. “Stiles is family to me.” He said firmly. “He’s as good as a brother. So, no. I don’t love him that way.”

Allison was silent for a little while longer before she took a deep breath and said, “I could. One day.”

“I don’t know if I could.” Theo glanced down at his hands, then looked back up at Allison and Derek. “I’m pretty sure I'm incapable of that kind of thing. I’d like to be different. I’ve asked him to help me out, when it comes to that. I only know how to push my emotions aside, if I do feel anything.” 

Allison twisted her own hands together. “Pushing your emotions aside never does anyone any favors.” She murmured. “So it’s good that you asked him for help.” She paused, her foot bouncing a little. “And… if you need extra help, you can come to one of us.”

“Thank you.” Theo smiled hesitantly, then looked at Derek. “I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you, but Peter wants you to call him.” 

“Oh, lord.” Derek muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Did he say why? What does he want?”

“Just to talk, I think?” Theo shrugged. “He mentioned getting cookies and seemed happy about that.” 

“Oh.” Derek looked startled, but tentatively pleased. “Okay. Well… I guess I’ll call him tonight at some point.”

Theo nodded. “Tell him I’m going to start making payments as soon as I can.” He smiled to himself. “I’m going to be busy tomorrow.” 

“I’ll tell him.” Derek agreed, looking at Theo thoughtfully.

Allison smiled faintly at Derek. While she didn’t think she would ever like Peter Hale - the man had murdered her aunt in front of her, and it was still distressing regardless of how well-deserved it was - it was good to see Derek look so hopeful and pleased at the familial connection. She turned her attention back to Theo. “What kind of plans do you have?” She asked him.

“There are some places that hire temps for the day.” Theo explained. “I figure I can keep working somewhere like that, while we travel. Or at least, for as long as I’m welcome.” 

Allison sat up a bit, looking interested. “Really? Do you mind if I tag along? We’ve been kind of relying on Derek, money-wise, and as much as he says it’s okay, and that he doesn’t mind, I mind.” She glanced at Derek pointedly.

“I don’t mind if you come with me.” Theo smiled. “No offense, but it guarantees that people won’t disappear on me while I’m gone.” 

Allison balked. “We wouldn’t do that!” She protested, shaking her head. “We’re assholes but we’re not douchebags.”

Theo laughed. “That should be a t-shirt slogan.” He glanced toward the door, sighing. “Maybe I should go talk to him and tell him it’s not that big of a deal?” 

Allison followed his gaze. “Yeah. Maybe it’ll get him to come back inside and relax a little if you talked to him.” She smiled faintly. “I worry about him, you know. This… thing that happened between him and Scott, and him and Lydia, it’s fucking with him. And Lydia’s my best friend - or she was - but I’m so irritated with her over all of this, over how she and Scott treated him, I didn’t even hesitate to volunteer to come with him when he decided to leave. Maybe if we’ve got one more person here to remind Stiles that he isn’t overlooked and unappreciated, he’ll believe it.”

Theo got to his feet and went out to the hallway, laughing when he saw Stiles sitting beside the door, his arms wrapped around his knees. “Usually, if someone is going to run away like a coward, they put a little more distance between themselves and the awkward situation.” He sat down in the middle of the hallway, facing Stiles. “I don’t care that you said something obnoxious. That’s what you do.” 

“Thanks.” Stiles muttered, shaking his head. “I was going to take the elevator down to the lobby, but there was this big crowd of drunk idiots, and I’ve got this goal of never having someone barf on me. Especially not in an elevator. I’m not out here because of you, I’m out here because of myself.” 

Theo’s lower lip jutted out into a pout. “Are you sure it’s not just a little bit because of me?” He asked. “Get up, Stiles. Come back inside the room, sit down, watch some tv, figure out how you’re going to start knitting thirty scarves for Allison because she’s looking at that yarn with… seriously, a lot of want, and just… hang out with your dumb friends that care about you, alright?” He held a hand out, leaning forward a little on the other one in preparation to get off the floor.

Stiles reached for Theo’s hand, glancing up at him hesitantly. “Okay, maybe it’s a little bit because of you.” He admitted, tightening his grip on Theo’s hand as he stood up, pulling the chimera into a standing position with him. 

Theo was quiet as they stood up, one hand rubbing over the back of his head. “I don’t know how to do this kind of thing.” He muttered. “The… friendship, relationship shit. I was kind of okay with it when I was a kid, but then stuff changed, and… my point being, I suck at being a real person. I don’t know if I can be the kind of friend you want, I don’t know if I can be anything, really, other than a mooch and an ex-enemy. But I want to try.”

“I think you’ll come to the conclusion that most people suck at being real people.” Stiles smiled crookedly. “And just because I’m having a moment, that doesn’t mean that I think I should wear your letterman’s jacket and have you take me to Prom.” He scoffed. “I used to think rebound things were stupid, but now I’m starting to wonder if I need one.” 

Theo smiled crookedly. “Plenty of people around Seattle, man.” He murmured. “And if we’re taking off soon, it’s not like you’ll have to see them again.”

Stiles nodded. “Well, I guess I know what I’m doing tomorrow, then.” 

“Cool. Allison and I are going job-hunting for one-day jobs.” Theo grinned. 

“If you find anything lucrative, I might join you the day after.” Stiles mused. “I don’t like being broke, either. Derek’s been paying for a lot of things, and he won’t let me pay him back.” 

“How dare he.” Theo replied flatly. He paused. “Actually, yeah, how dare he? His uncle’s got me paying him back everything I borrowed from him in increments. Jesus.”

Stiles laughed. “Peter and Derek are really not alike.” He shrugged. “If you really want to be a smartass, don’t send Peter anything more than a dollar at a time. Five, if you don’t feel like taking a few years to pay him back. No more than ten, though.” 

“I might just do that.” Theo murmured, nodding thoughtfully. “He was weirdly helpful.”

“Yeah, he can be like that sometimes.” Stiles agreed. “Kinda like you. You’re both assholes.” He grinned, but his smile faded after a moment. “Seriously, whatever the hell is in my head right now, ignore me. It’ll pass.” He shook his head at himself and opened the door to the room, waving to Allison and Derek as he passed them and swept everything off of the bed in a large pile, flopping down onto his stomach. 

Allison rose, laughing, and sat down at the head of the bed, petting Stiles’ hair gently. “You want to nap for awhile?” She asked him, glancing up at Theo and smiling at him appreciatively.

“Yeah, and then maybe we can go out to a club?” Stiles’ voice was muffled. “I don’t even like clubs, but I wanna go to one.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Theo smirked, knowing exactly why Stiles wanted to go out.


	5. Come Up For Air

Stiles had a suitcase for his purchases, and he stashed it in the back of Theo’s truck, save a skein of yarn and a crochet hook, which he put in the front seat. He smiled to himself as he thought about the past few days. When they had gone to the club, Stiles had met an up-and-coming musician named Lowell, and he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in anything serious. It hadn’t bothered the other man. Stiles was still trying to reconcile that he had become the kind of guy who could have a one-night stand, but that was essentially what had happened between him and Lydia. And, if he wanted to be honest with himself, that was also how his relationship with Malia had turned out. They had only slept together once, but they had made out a lot afterward. He turned to talk to Derek and Allison, who were getting into the Jeep beside Theo’s truck. “I know the plan is to go east.” He began. “But can we do one last thing, first? Whidbey Island?” He gave Allison a hopeful look. “I figured you would have suggested it already.” 

Allison’s eyes lit up. “I was going to mention it before Theo got here,” she nodded eagerly. “Yes! I definitely want to go there before we leave.”

Stiles grinned, but hesitated for a second. “I’m sorry that you’re not getting to do this with Lydia. Regardless of what she said or did, or didn’t say or do, I mean? I know that she would love going to the island with you.” 

Allison looked down and smiled a little sadly, shrugging. “I’d have loved to go there with her, too. It is what it is.” She sighed, then looked up at him and snuggled against his side. “I’m glad I’ll at least get to see it with you guys.”

Stiles wrapped an arm around Allison, which had become his new normal. “I know that we’re going to take a lot of pictures of that house.” He grinned. “I’m glad you came with us. I know that the amount of testosterone around here is probably on your nerves.” 

Allison laughed softly. “I don’t really mind? It’s actually kind of comforting.” She slid her arms around his middle, resting her head against his shoulder. 

Derek looked on in amusement. “Hate to interrupt you two, but we should probably get going, if we’re going to swing by the island.”

“Yeah.” Stiles nodded. He got into the truck and picked up the crochet hook, eyeing it warily before he made a slip knot and started working on what he hoped would be the first of the scarves he was going to make for Allison. 

Theo watched him for a moment as he started up the truck and buckled himself in. He was planning on following Derek the entire way to the island, since he didn’t have the slightest clue how to get there himself. After backing up and shifting gears, driving until they were on the road with Derek and Allison ahead of them in the Jeep, he spoke. “I didn’t really think you’d be so close with her.” He commented, looking curious.

“I don’t really know how to describe how things are with us.” Stiles admitted. “She and Scott were in love for awhile, and then she broke up with him and went to Paris. When she came back, she started dating Isaac. There was this hiccup with Matt Daehler, but that was actually kind of Scott’s idea?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, she’s beautiful and I’m not blind. But I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind to be with anybody. It doesn’t matter if it’s crossed my mind or not.” 

“That’s fair.” Theo murmured, staring out the windshield. His eyes searched through the rear window of the Jeep, at the passenger seat where he could see Allison’s swaying hair. “You think you ever could? In the future, I mean, once you’ve got your shit together?”

“I think that it’s a possibility.” Stiles mused. “But it’s too soon to even think about it. Why? Are you interested in her? Because if you are, it’s not like I’m stopping you.” 

Theo sat back in his seat, musing on Stiles’ words silently. “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t… think I’m in a good place to date people, either.”

“If it helps? I think that both of them feel the same way about it. We’ll just all be single until we’re not.” Stiles snorted. “She deserves someone in her life who won’t treat her like shit. Scott kind of did that. I mean, not the entire time. But he told her that she was in the way and I’m not sure he ever apologized. He wouldn’t let her go when she broke up with him, either. As much as it drives me nuts that Lydia hasn’t even tried to call me, at least I’m not dealing with a hundred text messages about how she can do better or how much she misses me. I don’t need any of that.” 

Theo hummed again, nodding slowly. “Yeah. That’d be… difficult.” He muttered. He thought it would be, anyway. It wasn’t like he’d had a long drawn-out relationship with Tracy before he’d killed her. “Maybe being single is just a good thing for us. Let’s us get our shit straightened out before we try to be real people.”

Stiles laughed, nodding in response. “Yeah, we’ll revisit this conversation again in about six months. Maybe a year.” 

Theo’s lips twitched. “Sounds good to me.” He glanced over at Stiles. “So what’s so important about this… Whitley Island place?”

“Whidbey.” Stiles corrected, smiling as he looked back at Theo. “It’s where they filmed Practical Magic. Lydia and Allison talk about it all the time. It’s a good movie, at least. I wouldn’t have even suggested this if the movie was crap.” 

“I don’t think I ever watched it.” Theo admitted, his brain sending flashing red alarm signals the instant he said it. “Oh, hell, she’s going to make us watch it, isn’t she?”

“If she doesn’t, I might.” Stiles grinned. “But odds are good that she’ll want to watch it again.” He eyed the length of chain stitches, then added a few more before he started to single-crochet the yarn into a scarf. “We’ll probably end up going to islands out by Boston, too. Since that’s where the movie and the book take place.” He glanced at Theo again. “It’s about these two sisters in a family of witches, and they’re cursed. One of them insists that she never wants to fall in love, while the other says she can’t wait to fall in love. But it’s not really a love story?” 

“It’s a story about family.” Theo concluded softly. “It’s… about the sisters, right? There’s love stories involved, but the first thing you said was that it was about two sisters, and family.”

“Yeah.” Stiles murmured. “I guess in some ways, it kind of reminded me of me and Scott, when I watched it. But that was before he... that was before I realized he wasn’t the person I thought he was.” 

“Yeah.” Theo murmured softly. “Well. He’s a dumbass.” He glanced over at Stiles. “I mean, seriously, he’s a dumbass, I’ve never met anyone as big of a trusting moron as he is.”

Stiles laughed. “You needed him to be a trusting moron.” He pointed out. “If he was as skeptical as I am, you never would have gotten anywhere.” 

“Which, no offense, is why I tried so hard to drive that wedge between you.” Theo mumbled. “I knew you’d sniff me out. I needed you out of the way.” He scowled at the dashboard. “I’m not sorry about it. Or…” His face softened and his shoulders slumped a little. “I’m not sorry about ousting Scott from the best-friend zone. He took advantage of it, probably abused it.” He glanced quickly at Stiles, then looked back out the window. “You’re better off.”

“I know that.” Stiles murmured. “If I felt differently, you wouldn’t be here with us. I would have told Allison to call her dad and he would have dealt with you before you got here.” 

Theo laughed nervously. “Right. Hunter family. He’d probably have been here in a flash.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Okay, well… um. Glad we’re on the same page?”

Stiles laughed. “For my own curiosity?” He began, making a few more stitches on the scarf before he spoke again. “Pretend it’s been a year and you’re more of a person and less of a trash can.” He snorted. “What’s the first thing you would do?” 

Theo blinked a few times, his brows drawing together in thought. “Um… christ. I guess I’d… I don’t know. Maybe go out… for a walk, get some ice cream… meet someone.” He looked awkward. “Is that dumb? Is that what normal people do?”

“It’s what normal people do.” Stiles agreed, assuring Theo. “Maybe in a year, we’ll have settled somewhere. For now, there’s just this.” He waved a hand vaguely. “Traveling around the country and then we’re going to Paris. Or at least, that was the idea. I think we’ll see how we feel when we’re done with this continent.” 

Theo hummed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Paris.” He admitted. “But I guess I’d need to get a passport, huh?”

“Yeah, but that’s not too hard.” Stiles shrugged. “If you need a permanent address to have it mailed to, you can use mine or Derek’s, in Beacon Hills. Even though none of us want to go back there, we could. Or we could have someone mail them to us, as soon as they arrive.” 

“Let’s do that.” Theo said. “I guess we’d address it to your house? Unless Derek’s uncle would be willing to send it to us. If he hasn’t skipped town by the time it shows up.”

“As long as Malia’s in Beacon Hills, Peter will be.” Stiles reasoned. “And she’s not going anywhere until or unless Scott does.” 

Theo suddenly laughed. “He can’t stand it, can he?”

“No, he hates it.” Stiles agreed. “But he’s trying to be normal, like we are. It’s just that his normal involves being a parent to his daughter, since he wasn’t there for her for most of her life. It wasn’t his fault, though. He didn’t even know she existed.” 

“Why not?” Theo frowned. “Was Malia’s mom just some petty chick that didn’t want him involved?”

“Nah, it’s more like... Derek’s mom. Uh, that’s Peter’s sister. She took his memories of Malia from him, for some reason.” Stiles wondered if he was saying too much, but he wanted to trust Theo. 

Theo looked startled. “What the fuck? Why would anyone do that? Unless she thought he was going to be, like, a fucking danger to his own kid or something, but he couldn’t have been much older than Malia is now when she was born.”

“Yeah.” Stiles glanced at Theo. “You’re genuinely bothered by this. It’s not something I expected.” 

“Because it’s fucked up. I mean, , _I’m_ fucked up, so I guess I’d know, right?” Theo snorted. “I don’t get it.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever know. Talia’s dead now.” Stiles shrugged. “But the point is, Malia’s staying with Scott, so Peter is stuck in, well, Sunnydale.” 

“Hmph. Sucks to be him, I guess.” Theo shook his head. “Maybe Malia’s brains will come back online soon.”

Stiles glanced over at Theo again. “I don’t know. I think she relies pretty much solely on instinct. Uh, that wasn’t me saying she’s stupid. She just doesn’t give a fuck about ramifications of her actions. Maybe it’s a coyote thing.” He smirked. 

Theo glanced at him sideways, then rolled his eyes. “Haha. Funny. Because I’m part coyote. You’re hilarious.”

“I think so.” Stiles grinned. He got his phone out of his pocket and set a reminder for a year, to the day. “I’m giving myself time to be normal. To get there, at least. I know having a deadline might seem stupid, but it gives me something to work toward.” 

“At least you’re setting it as a reminder and not as a countdown.” Theo snorted. “‘Three-hundred-and-sixty-four days until normalcy.’”

“Until my head explodes.” Stiles corrected, laughing. “Three hundred and sixty-four days until the apocalypse.” 

“We’re putting that on the calendar?” Theo scoffed. “‘One year until we’re epically fucked’? That’s great, really, I love knowing that the end is near. Gives me time to get all my affairs in order.” He paused. “Although if the apocalypse is in a year and I don’t survive, I won’t have to pay Peter back.”

“See? Bright side.” Stiles smirked. “And who says we’re epically fucked? Maybe we’re the last survivors.” 

“My luck usually says otherwise.” Theo pointed out. “My luck is the kind that ends up with me in hell with my dead sister ripping my heart out every night.”

“That was Kira’s punishment for you.” Stiles murmured. “And that wasn’t luck. That was penance. More than you deserved, but not entirely undeserved.” 

Theo made a face. “Kira’s punishment sucked balls.” He mumbled, looking sulky.

Stiles chuckled, deciding not to bother responding to that remark with a crass one of his own. “But Liam got you out and you helped save the town. So bygones?” 

Theo snorted and laughed. “Yeah. Bygones.” He agreed, nodding.

Stiles kept working on the scarf, only getting out of the truck when they were parked on the boat that would take them to the island. He walked over to the Jeep and knocked on Allison’s door, then stepped back. “Come on, let’s go.” He smiled. “I know you’ll want to see it as it gets closer, instead of just sitting in the Jeep and waiting.” 

Allison beamed at him, slipping out of the Jeep quickly and bounding over toward the bow, grabbing Stiles’ arm and dragging him with her. She watched quietly as the ferry came closer and closer to the island, and she took a deep breath, shaking her head. “It’s beautiful.” She muttered softly.

“I have a feeling you won’t want to leave right away.” Stiles teased. “Want me to see if we can find somewhere to crash for the night, over here?” 

Allison looked at him hopefully, smiling sheepishly. “Yes, please?” She requested, tucking her arm around his.

Stiles nodded, looking up information on an inn, located on the coast of the island. He booked two rooms for the four of them to split however they decided, turning the phone to show pictures to Allison. “I kind of hope that this turns into a big deal for you. Instead of like, going to Wally World and finding out that it’s closed.” He snorted. 

Allison snorted. “Well, the upside is that I won’t get angry enough to punch a giant moose in the nose.” She peered at the pictures Stiles was showing her, and let out a huff of delight. “Oh my god, I can’t wait.” She blurted, bouncing in place.

“I don’t think you’ll have to wait a whole lot longer.” Stiles grinned. “Also, you should probably be told that Theo was asking me some questions about you.” 

Allison stilled, raising her eyebrows at him slowly. “Oh? What… sort of questions?”

“He wanted to know how close we were, and basically implied that he didn’t want to step on my toes if he pursued you.” Stiles murmured. “But he also said he’s not ready to date anyone right now.” 

Allison shifted. “Oh.” She replied, looking confused. “So… he’s… interested but unwilling to do anything about it?”

“Yeah.” Stiles frowned. “But I mean, that’s kind of a good thing? It’s better that he knows he’s not ready, than for him to insist that he is, and end up hurting you.” 

“Yeah.” Allison said softly, her lips pursing in thought. “Yeah, that’s very true. And he’s your friend - if we ended up dating, and I got hurt, I’d probably hurt him. And that would hurt you, and I don’t want to do that.”

“If he hurts you, he deserves whatever he gets.” Stiles shrugged. “I don’t want him to get hurt, either. But I know what he’s capable of.” 

Allison rubbed his arm lightly. “And thanks to you, so do I.” She paused, and shrugged. “Well. I have an idea of it, anyway. But I… highly doubt that I’m going to be dating anytime soon. Even if he was ready.”

“Yeah. I think we’re all in agreement about that.” Stiles snorted. “I set a reminder on my phone, actually. One year from today, I’ll see how I’m feeling. No dating until then. What happened with Lowell was okay, but... I don’t know if it’s really something I want to keep doing.” 

“But it’s probably good that you went out and did it.” Allison told him. “You tried it, got it out of your system. It’s not for you, so you won’t do it again. Maybe next time, you just find someone to hang out with, or go to the movies with. You date, and you feel people out and see how they fit with you.” She smiled. “And you give them proper warning in advance that you have three very, very protective and annoying friends that frequently butt their noses into your business, and also you’re on a road trip cross-country until you can make it to France.”

Stiles laughed. “Or I don’t do any of that, and jerk off when I started getting too frustrated.” He remarked. “Dating - as much as I want to do that. I mean, in a year, when I’m hopefully older and wiser and over Lydia? I don’t think I’m meant for it. At least, that’s how I feel right now. In a year, maybe I’ll be ready.” He snorted. “I guess this is my version of the cookie dough speech.” 

“As long as you don’t make allusions to people eating you.” Allison teased him. She exhaled, then, and faceplanted right into Stiles’ shoulder, hugging him tightly. “I think after this year, you and Derek definitely need some time. I think I’m okay - mostly - but I’m not planning on dating or doing anything other than… focusing on self-love. And if Theo knows for a fact that he’s not ready, then I guess we’re all in agreement that… well, fuck dating.”

“Yeah, fuck dating.” Stiles snorted. “And now we’re about to go to an island that you’ve been harping about being one of the most romantic places on the planet. This is going to end _so_ well.” 

Allison snickered. “Well, if the universe feels like fucking with me and I happen to meet my one true love while we’re there, then I guess we’ll know that everything we’ve just said to each other - or that I’ve said to you, at least - is bullshit and should be disregarded and stricken from the record.”

“The universe has a court reporter?” Stiles laughed. “Whatever, it makes sense. Somebody has to keep track of this shit.” He nudged her, gesturing to the dock. “Go get back in the Jeep. You’re not allowed in the truck. I’m making you a scarf and you can’t see it until it’s done.” 

“Boo. And also yay.” Allison grinned at him, reaching up and tapping his nose with one finger. “I can’t wait to see it.” She turned and started back toward the Jeep.

Stiles got back into the truck, smiling at Theo. “Is everything okay? Sorry I just kinda wandered off like that.” 

“Everything’s fine.” Theo replied, looking at the other man with a small smile and a shrug. “Your best friend is getting to see something for the first time that she really wants to see, and you wanted to be with her for it.”

Stiles nodded. He was a little surprised at the description of Allison being his best friend, but he had to admit that it wasn’t an incorrect assessment. “I booked a couple of suites for us, already. It’s on the coast. It looks out over the water and the mountains.” He glanced at Theo, grinning. “And Ally’s room, whichever one she decides on, comes with a package. A dvd of the movie, a guide to filming locations and some wine. So brace yourself for that. I haven’t told her yet, but she’s probably going to ask all of us to watch it with her. We’re in the two rooms on the second floor. I would have booked one room for the four of us, but this place has some kind of rule about occupancy.” 

“Weird, but probably smart. Besides, they’d probably get the wrong idea, three guys showing up with one girl and only staying in one room.” Theo pointed out. He took a deep breath, making a face. “This movie had better be decent.”

“You could always resort to the usual method of not having to sit through it.” Stiles shrugged. “But I don’t recommend trying to make out with Derek. He’ll probably punch you in the face.” 

Theo choked out a laugh. “He’d probably eviscerate me.” He corrected. “And I don’t think we’re at that point in our relationship where I’d be cool with evisceration.”

“Is there a point when that’s even okay?” Stiles laughed. “Twelve dates and a blowjob?” 

“I’m not even sure.” Theo admitted, laughing helplessly. “Derek might have a whole other sort of system for that sort of thing that only he knows about.”

“I don’t think he’d ever be okay with evisceration. At least, not his own.” Stiles snorted. “He sort of dealt with that once already and he clawed the guy’s throat out for it.” 

Theo blinked, and glanced at Stiles. “Wa - what? Really? When did that happen?”

“About a month after I met him.” Stiles mused. “And the guy who attacked him was Peter, by the way.” 

Theo’s eyes bulged slightly, and he turned back, staring straight ahead and falling back into his seat. “There is… so many things that are so fucked up about that.” He muttered. “And… I don’t even know where to start, holy shit.”

“Can I ask you something?” Stiles faltered. “No, wait. Never mind.” He glanced down at the yarn at his side, startled when a whistle sounded and a voice came on a loudspeaker, telling them that it was time to leave the boat. 

Theo started up the truck and waited until Derek had driven the Jeep off the boat before following after him. He glanced at Stiles briefly. “Tell me. Or… Ask me, I mean.”

“What’s your favorite color?” Stiles asked quickly, staring back at Theo. He had intended to ask something a lot more personal and potentially traumatic - for Stiles, at least. He chickened out at the last second, and he hoped that his ability to lie hadn’t gone away. 

Theo glanced at him oddly. “Um. I don’t know, green, probably? I’m guessing yours is blue, if the Jeep is anything to go by.”

“Yeah, I like blue.” Stiles murmured. “And orange.” 

Theo laughed. “Right, the Mets. You still follow them?”

“Every season.” Stiles nodded, grinning. “Do you?” 

Theo hesitated, and then shook his head. “Kinda had other things to worry about, other than baseball. Not that I don’t still watch when I get the chance.”

“If we take our time traveling, we could be in New York in time to see a game.” Stiles smiled. “I mean, if you want to.” 

Theo looked back at Stiles and smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, that could be fun.” He murmured. “Maybe, uh, Allison and Derek would be willing to come, too.”

“Yeah, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.” Stiles felt a little sick to his stomach and mortified that he had let his guard down long enough to develop - or reaffirm, maybe - his interest in Theo, just to find out that the chimera wasn’t interested. He laughed softly to himself, shaking his head. It was going to be a long year. 

“What?” Theo asked, looking curious. “What’s funny?”

“Just my life, I guess.” Stiles shoved the yarn and crochet hook into a backpack at his feet. “Nothing at all works out the way I want it to. I should really learn to just stop wanting things.” 

Theo furrowed his brows, looking a little confused. “Well… maybe when you stop, you know, wanting things… whatever you want to happen will happen?” He tried.

“I’ve heard that before.” Stiles snorted. “It’s a great concept, in theory. In practice, not as much. But yeah, I mean, if I stop thinking too much, I’ll be fine.” 

“I still think that wanting shit gets you nowhere.” Theo muttered. “And nothing. Except fucked, and not in the fun way.” He grimaced. “Fuck, maybe any of us wanting anything is just… calling the doom down on our heads, you know, but… I don’t know. Doesn’t mean I don’t still want things, you know? I just have to take it as it comes.”

“You were raised to be more practical than I was.” Stiles murmured. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. If I could just stop feeling for a little while, that would be fine with me.” 

Theo looked over at him for a moment. “That’s never really worked out well for me.” He commented. “The ‘stop feeling’ thing.”

“So you’re saying you’re not a sociopath?” Stiles teased, then felt a little guilty. “I’m an asshole. Ignore me.” 

“Nah.” Theo shook his head. “I mean, yeah, you are an asshole.” He flashed Stiles a quick grin. “But so am I. And… hell, I mean, I am kind of a sociopath. So… no ignoring.”

“I can be, sometimes. Sociopathic.” Stiles mused. “I mean, I really hate not getting what I want.” He shrugged, looking out at the scenery as they went down the road. “Before we got to Seattle, we went to Astoria and I was playing tag with Allison. It sounds stupid, but it was a way to distract her from this emotional situation we were in. Anyway, I went invisible somehow, and she ran right past me and didn’t see me. I’m pretty sure that’s not good? But maybe it is. I don’t know.” 

Theo looked startled at Stiles’ words. “Dude. If you can go invisible now… I mean, that’s kind of badass, isn’t it? I mean, it’s possible she just got swept up in the game and didn’t realize you were right in front of her because, like… I don’t know, tunnel vision or whatever, but if you really did go invisible, that’s like… you’ve got a fucking super power.”

“Yeah, my one power, compared to your twenty.” Stiles snorted. “But I might give it a try, see if I can do it again. On purpose, I mean. It would be kind of stupid to have an ability and not use it, right?” 

“RIght.” Theo agreed. “Where the hell was this power years ago? I mean, I’m not saying you should have used it in the girls’ locker room, because that would make you a pervert, but…” He shrugged a shoulder. “Well.”

“I still could.” Stiles said easily. “There are gyms all over the country.” 

“Good point.” Theo murmured, going silent. He shifted uncomfortably. “Though… just saying… we do have a perfectly good female riding along with us.” He cleared his throat. “But I get the feeling she’d probably know. See, this is why I don’t have the invisibility powers.”

“You really want to see her naked that badly?” Stiles gave Theo a curious look. “I think you could just ask her. She’s not the most shy person ever, and as long as you make your intentions clear, she should be okay with it.” 

“There’s also the chance that she could stab me in the face half a dozen times for asking.” Theo replied, looking at Stiles and shrugging. “Me, in particular. Because I’m not invisible. I’m not jealous.”

“You’re a little jealous.” Stiles laughed. “I’m not going to spy on her. If she wanted me to see her naked, I figure she would let me know. Not like I don’t know what I’m missing out on, anyway? Scott liked to be way too descriptive. I know a lot more about Allison than I should.” 

Theo made a face. “Christ. That’s probably something that she should know. Not necessarily that you know what she looks like naked, I mean, but that her ex couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut about it. I know shit all about girls, and I know that much.” 

“I did mention it to her.” Stiles murmured. “Or at least, I think I did? Maybe I should mention it again. Or for the first time?” He pointed at the Blue Goose Inn, even though he didn’t need to, since Derek was already turning in to the driveway. “So, is it wrong to assume that you want to share a room with Allison?” 

“Hah!” Theo snorted. “Let me get past the point where she no longer sees me as a villain, and then we’ll see. Besides, if no one else minds… well, if I have to share a room, I’d rather it be with the one person I know, and trust isn’t going to strangle me in the middle of the night.”

“Derek?” Stiles burst out laughing. “I know. I won’t do that to you. I’m kind of invested in your humanity, anyway.” 

“Yeah?” Theo smiled a little at him as he parked the truck alongside the Jeep and shut off the engine. “Good to know.”

Stiles grabbed his travel bag from Theo’s truck, then got his duffel bag from the back of the Jeep. He left the extra yarn and collectibles where they were, in the new suitcase. Once he caught up to Allison, he leaned toward her to speak quietly. “So, I didn’t tell you before, but I asked that one of the rooms get a package upgrade. The dvd of Practical Magic, a bottle of wine, and a guide to filming locations.” 

“What?!” Allison blurted, staring at Stiles with huge eyes. “ _What?!_ Oh my god.” She dropped her bags and threw her arms around Stiles, hugging him tightly. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you - I can’t believe you did that! Well, you’re staying with me in my room tonight, obviously.” She told him, and then whipped her head around to look at Derek and Theo. “And that goes for you both as well. We’re watching this fucking movie, and drinking the wine, and you’re so coming with me on this tour thingy.” She looked back at Stiles, beaming. “I can’t believe you did this. I already said that. But still.”

Stiles grinned. “It was an option, and I couldn’t ignore it.” He shrugged, hugging her. “I’ll get my own back when I make you come to a Mets game with me.” 

“Will you buy me peanuts and cracker jacks?” Allison asked him, burying her face against his chest and laughing.

“I guess.” Stiles snorted. “We’ve got months before we’ll be there, I have plenty of time to save up. Maybe I’ll steal quarters from a really old payphone.” 

“God, if they even still have them around.” Allison shook her head. “Come on. Let’s get inside, I want to see my room, and what kind of wine we’ll be plying ourselves with tonight.” She tugged on Stiles’ arm, then gestured eagerly at Theo and Derek, grinning widely as she scooped up her abandoned bag.

Stiles got the room keys from the clerk, then went up the stairs to unlock both doors. He waved a hand at Allison. “Pick whichever one you want, the rest of us will figure it out.” 

Allison shrugged, and glanced between both doors for a moment before she went to the first one and opened it, slipping inside with an enormous smile on her face. Letting out a squeal that could probably be heard from the other side of the inn, she threw herself onto her bed and rolled around on the covers.

“She spent way too much time around werewolves.” Stiles remarked, smirking. “Yeah, that’s another drawback? One bed in each room. But I think we’ll be okay.” 

Derek looked amused as he watched Allison. “I can say with utter honesty that I have never scent-marked my bed the way she’s doing right now.” He looked at Stiles. “Any particular preference on who rooms where?”

“Yeah. If you don’t have any objections, I’m sharing with Theo.” Stiles nodded. “Since he doesn’t really know either of you and he’s developed a healthy sense of paranoia.” 

Derek glanced at Theo, giving the younger man a sharp grin. “That’s probably wise.” He agreed, before stepping into the first bedroom. “Allison, you’re wrinkling literally everything, get off the damn bed.”

Stiles laughed and set his duffel bag down in the second room, stretching out on his back on the bed, his feet resting on the floor. “I’m kind of annoyed that they decided on a bottle of wine instead of margarita mix.” He remarked, looking up at Theo. 

Theo shrugged. “I mean, Derek’s all adult-like, he can probably go to the nearest booze market and grab one, right?” He set his things down on the floor, then sat down on the end of the bed.

“Yeah.” Stiles murmured. He licked his lower lip, then rolled his eyes at himself and sat up, wondering what in his life had resulted in him enduring what he saw as hell. He thought back to the time he had jokingly said that his punishment for killing Donovan had been to spend five hours with Theo. Maybe all of the other bodies, even though he hadn’t been in control when they died, were being atoned for now. In a way, the idea of that was enough to settle him. “I’d ask if you want to go for a walk, but I think Allison is going to want to watch the movie right away, and then we’ll be doing plenty of walking after that.” There was a knock on the door, and he didn’t recognize it, so he got up warily and opened the door after peering through the viewhole. 

“I can see through you, clear as that glass board you keep in the room at your father’s house.” The woman in the hallway remarked. “I’d say ‘your house,’ but you know that it’s not your home anymore.” 

“Okay?” Stiles glanced over his shoulder at Theo, then looked back at the woman. “So you’re a friend of my dad’s and he sent you to check on me?” He guessed, even though he knew that wasn’t the truth of the situation. “What do you want?” 

“To help you. You don’t seem too comfortable in your own skin, so I’m here to give you a new one, see if it suits you better. With your consent, of course.” She smiled. 

Stiles tilted his head as he looked at her. She felt familiar, like the good twin of Monroe, but she had more of an edge, like Marin Morrell. His shoulders relaxed as he decided he could trust her, and that wasn’t a common feeling for him with any stranger. “You’re not going to turn me into a cat, are you?” He asked, smiling softly. 

“Not at all.” The witch laughed. “I’m just taking the energy you already have and reshaping the container you keep it in.” She tapped his arm to make her point. “You’ll keep it for three moon cycles, and by then, you’ll be in New Orleans and you can come find me.” 

“So, what am I getting?” Stiles murmured. “Bigger muscles?” 

The witch’s mirth faded and she shook her head, pointing with her index and middle fingers from her eyes to his. “I know what you want.” She rested her hand on his forearm. 

Stiles blinked when his viewpoint, looking down from his six-foot-one frame at her, became him needing to tilt his head back a little to make eye contact with her. He was at least two inches shorter than the witch now, and felt like he was swimming in his clothes. “Uh...” 

“Right.” The woman in the hallway laughed, waving her hands. 

Stiles’ clothes decreased in length, becoming more form-fitting. And the form had breasts. She grabbed her phone from her pocket, opening the camera with one hand as she gripped the witch’s wrist, not wanting the woman to leave just yet. “Why would you do this for me?” She demanded. “What do you get out of it? And what’s your name? How do I know this isn’t a trick?” 

“Does it feel like a trick?” The witch asked quietly. “You’ve been forcing yourself to deny your every impulse, because you don’t trust who you are. So now, you get to be someone else. At least, from the outside. And you can call me Kendra.” She winked. 

Stiles blinked at her. “So you’ve just been wading around inside my head?” 

“Sometimes, I come across people with thoughts screaming for attention.” Kendra murmured. “The four of you sound like a freight train. I thought I’d offer some assistance.” She reached into the bag at her side, throwing a book over Stiles’ head, to Theo. “This is for you. You’re not pleased with your past, and you want a rewrite.” She nodded to the book. “That’s a choose your own adventure sort of thing, except whatever you decide, you’re not going to die or be chased by any giant spiders. You get to read an alternative take on your history, and if you want to keep it, it’ll stick itself in your mind. That’s not just a manipulation, either. It’ll cause ripples. What you choose as your history will influence the people you bring along with you, through your story. Otherwise, you can wait a year or twenty to become comfortable with your upbringing, but there are men on their deathbed who have regrets. Why let yourself be one of them? Change things now, change your outlook. Or you can leave the book for someone else who might need it more than you.” 

Theo rested a hand on Stiles’ shoulder, looking down at her. The conversation between Stiles and Kendra had happened so fast, he hadn’t had a chance to intervene. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” Stiles tilted her head back to look up at him. “I think you should take the book. If you get a few pages in and hate it, you can do like she says. Or you can burn it.” 

“Also an option.” Kendra agreed, smiling. “And now I’m going to talk to your friends.” She crooked a finger at them, then knocked on the other upstairs bedroom door. 

“Hey, Derek?” Stiles called out, then cringed at the realization that he might not recognize her voice, since it had been decidedly more masculine a moment earlier. She looked back at Theo, laughing as she blushed, embarrassed. 

Theo looked down at Stiles - something he wasn’t ever going to get used to, and something he’d never thought he’d say - looking bemused. “You’ve got a really nice voice.” He told her honestly. “But… I still think looking at you is kinda weird right now. I’m used to you… you know.” He gestured with his hands, indicating Stiles in his male persona.

Derek stuck his head out of the doorway in confusion, looking around until he locked eyes with the witch, Theo and Stiles. His nostrils flared as soon as he caught Stiles’ scent, and his eyes grew huge as his jaw dropped open. “Uh.”

“I’m okay!” Stiles blurted, shrugging at Derek. “It’s okay. I’m fine with it. It’s only for about three months, anyway.” She looked back at Theo. “I don’t expect you to be fine with it immediately, either.” 

“I’m surprisingly okay with it.” Theo admitted, shrugging. “It’ll just take some getting used to.”

“What’s going to take getting used to?” Allison asked, poking her head between Derek and the door frame with a frown. “Why are you all out here, what’s going on?” She squinted at the witch, and then looked at Stiles before doing a double-take. “Whoa.” Her eyes went wide with awe. “Whoa. Oh my god. Stiles?”

Stiles nodded. She waved a hand at the witch standing near her. “This is Kendra. Or so she says. Apparently, we’re causing some kind of disturbance in the Force and she wanted to help us balance it a little.” 

“Hi, Kendra.” Allison said faintly, still staring at Stiles. “We have to bring balance to the Force?”

“Slow your roll, Anakin,” Theo teased her, his lips twitching. “We’re not Jedi. Just fucked up.”

“Theo got a timey-wimey book.” Stiles added, grinning. “So now you guys get stuff, too.” 

“Within reason.” Kendra murmured. “I won’t be bringing anyone back from the dead.” 

Allison shuddered abruptly and looked back at Derek. “I don’t know if that’s something I’d want, anyway.” She murmured.

Derek’s face closed off. “Speak for yourself.” He mumbled quietly. 

“I’d like to offer the two of you a memory. The same one, if it’s all right.” Kendra hesitated. “It’s not a memory that either of you have.” 

Allison looked confused. “Whose memory is it, then?”

“Kate Argent’s.” Kendra glanced at Derek. “If you don’t mind.” 

A frisson of fear and anxiety swept down Derek’s back and sat balled up in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed hard, feeling the minute tremble in his hands and doing his best to hide them. He didn’t think anything that was attached to Kate Argent’s name would ever make him do any less. “I…” He exhaled. “Do I have a choice?” He asked the witch. 

“You do, but I won’t leave you with nothing.” Kendra murmured. “If this isn’t what you want, then tell me what you do.” 

Allison gently gripped Derek’s elbow, looking at him worriedly. “Seriously, Derek… you don’t have to do this. Pick something else. Anything else.”

Derek’s head stayed down, until he looked up suddenly, his eyes locked on Stiles’ pleadingly, like he was asking the younger man - woman, now - what to do.

“It’s a memory she had. It shouldn’t be able to cause you pain.” Stiles said gently, but she gestured to Theo. “Don’t let her leave.” She said firmly, nodding toward the witch. “If this is something that hurts him, we’re hurting you. Plain and simple.” 

“Understood.” Kendra said quietly. 

There was silence for a long, steady beat, during which all Derek could do was remind himself to inhale and exhale. Eventually, he nodded. “Okay.”

Kendra reached out with both hands, her fingertips touching the foreheads of Allison and Derek. 

_“I don’t want to do this.” Kate whispered to herself, staring through the car window at the crowd going into Beacon Hills High School._

_“You must be mistaken.” Gerard scoffed. “You think I have any interest in what you want? You’ll do what I tell you, or I’ll end your life as readily as I would any werewolf’s. And if you utter one more syllable against what this family has stood for, for generations? I’ll cut your tongue out. Now smile.”_

_Kate smiled obediently, her fists clenching on her knees._

_“Knock them dead.” Gerard laughed at his own joke. He unlocked the car doors and went back to ignoring his daughter’s existence as she got out of the car and went into the building._

Allison pulled away, blinking rapidly and staring at Kendra in disbelief. “That’s…” She trailed off abruptly, and then stared at Derek. “Was that…?”

Derek swallowed thickly. “My freshman year of high school. I wasn’t quite fourteen yet. I was the middle child of a famous Alpha, I was quiet, and I got drowned out and forgotten at home. Not on purpose, but it happened. I walked into my third period history class to find that Mister Oliver had gone on medical leave, and a pretty substitute named Catelyn White was taking over. She was… kind to me. Interested in what I had to say. She laughed when I made dumb jokes, and hugged me when I felt upset.” He took a shaky breath. “After the fire, I got a text from an unknown number, but I knew it was her. ‘What a shame, Der. But thanks for everything you did. You were a huge help.’”

Kendra walked away, going back down the stairs. 

Stiles frowned after her, but figured if Derek wanted her dead, he would have handled it himself. “Movie?” She suggested. 

Allison bit her lower lip and nodded. “Yeah. Yes.” She said firmly, nodding. “We need a distraction.” Her mind was spinning with the realization that she hadn’t been the only one that Gerard had manipulated - and that he’d had more care with how he’d treated Allison than how he’d treated Kate. It was much clearer now than she’d ever expected it to be after everything had gone down. She’d been devastated at the thought that she’d never known who Kate Argent really was, that she could be the kind of woman who would murder innocent men, women and children; she’d still done it, of course, and that didn’t earn Kate any forgiveness. But Allison understood the situation better now than she ever had before. There was a weight that she hadn’t been aware of on her shoulders that felt like it had finally fallen off. Her eyes turned toward Stiles, and she smiled. “Let’s go. I want food and alcohol, and there’s a restaurant that we can try here later.”

Stiles smiled. “So movie first, or walk first?” She glanced down at her outfit. As a guy, it hadn’t bothered her. Now, even fitted, it didn’t feel quite right.

Allison glanced at Derek and Theo, and then smiled faintly. “Walk first, I think.” She sputtered. “That’s not a dog joke, I just think that you could use some fresh air.”

“You’re not wrong.” Stiles murmured. She ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head in exasperation, but she wasn’t really that annoyed. She went down the stairs, stepping out through the front door and shivering a little. 

Theo sidled up beside her, his hands stuffed in his pockets awkwardly. “Um… so… you can borrow my shirt, if you want.” He said. “To preserve yourself from getting any colder, I mean. And not, like, all of my clothes, I’m not planning on stripping or anything, but I’ve got a flannel on top of a T-shirt on top of a thing, and you can borrow the flannel?”

“Okay.” Stiles held her hand out. “Thanks. I mean, I’m wearing two layers because that’s pretty much what I always do, but of course it’s not enough for me, now.” She stared up at him, not sure if she was flattered or a little terrified by his abrupt change in behavior.

“Cool, right, yeah.” Theo nodded. “Makes sense.”

Derek watched them, bemused, and then looked at Allison with raised eyebrows. “Well, this is going to be a fun three months.” He murmured.

Allison’s lips twitched, and she shook her head as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I’m sure.” 

Stiles pouted at Derek, pulling Theo’s shirt on over her own as she walked down the porch steps and looked around. There weren’t a lot of tourists, which she was grateful for. The idea of fighting a bunch of women for clothing at an independent shop wasn’t a fun one. “Where are we going first?” She asked Allison. “The house?” 

Allison nodded eagerly. “Yes.” She blurted, bumping her shoulder against Stiles’. “I can’t wait. I always loved the house everytime it showed up, and I might lose it a little bit when we actually get there, so, um, keep an eye on me?”

Derek laughed, draping an arm around Allison’s shoulders, patting her arm gently. “We’ll do our best, okay? Even if someone needs to hold your hand the whole time.”

Allison made a face at him, looking at Stiles and Theo. “I don’t actually need hand-holding.”

“Okay.” Stiles smiled. “But if you change your mind, you’ve got seven hands to choose from. I mean, you could always hold your own.” She rubbed her forearms through Theo’s shirt sleeves as they walked. “I really hope there’s a place around here with hot chocolate.” 

“We’ll find one.” Derek assured her, giving her a small smile. “And if we don’t, we’ll buy a hot plate, some chocolate, and milk, and I’ll make you some.”

Stiles grinned. “Either way, as long as I get hot chocolate.” She started walking faster, in an effort to stay warm and get to the house at the end of the block. 

Theo watched Derek, bewildered as he followed after Stiles. “Why wouldn’t you just buy the packets?”

Derek’s smile fell, and he stared at Theo in disbelief. “Heathen.”

“They’re powder.” Stiles added, turning to walk backwards as she looked up at Theo. “It’s not enough chocolate, anyway. You deserve to have real hot chocolate. We’re making that a priority.” 

Theo raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “Okay, sure. I don’t really see anything wrong with the powder, but if that’s what you guys want…”

Allison smiled crookedly. “Trust me, you’ll see the difference.” She assured him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is when things might start to get confusing. While Stiles is female currently, and will be for a while, being male in the past means that she and the other characters will refer to Stiles as "him" when talking about events prior to the genderswap. It results in pronoun-switching in a few paragraphs along the way, but it's not intended to be malicious or erase who Stiles sees herself as. We apologize if our approach offends anyone. Please bear in mind that this is a fictional story about a man who will temporarily be female for a few months; reality is much more complex and we're not trying to downplay real struggles that people have faced.


	6. If You Ever Did Believe

As Practical Magic went to credits, Stiles glanced over at Theo, an expectant smile on her face. “Well? Did you like it?” 

Theo was staring at the screen, looking confused. “It was… good.” He said haltingly. “But… that’s it? The redhead gets possessed, the brunette calls the other parents, they expel the demon, and then they’re all accepted as witches, so they jump off the roof?”

“Um.” Stiles wrinkled her nose. “Yeah? But they broke the curse because of true love. A family bond, but whatever, you know? And it was Halloween, when they jumped. It was supposed to be cute.” 

“It was adorable!” Allison wailed, burying her face in the duvet of her bed, her shoulders heaving.

Derek blinked, looking startled. “Are… Okay. I didn’t realize that this movie meant that much to you…” 

“To _us_.” Allison mumbled.

Stiles pressed her lips together, frowning. “Ally? Lydia isn’t here.” 

Allison sat up, rubbing at her eyes. She was quiet for a moment, and then looked up at Stiles and nodded firmly. “She’s not. And you are.” She looked at Derek, then at Theo, and then back at Stiles, a small smile touching her face. “Is there anything else that you guys want to watch before we pass out?”

“Not that I can think of.” Stiles yawned. “I’m going to bed.” She looked over at Theo. “Unless you want me to wait for you? I could fall asleep in here, if you want to watch something else.” 

Theo looked back at her, then looked around the room and shrugged. “I can think of worse places for you to pass out in.” He said, grinning crookedly. “But no, you don’t have to wait for me. You can take the bed, I’ll bunk down on the floor. I don’t think there’s anything I want to watch right now, anyway.”

Stiles snorted. “You were fine sharing a bed with me last night.” She remarked. “So now that I have breasts, that’s a problem?” 

“It’s not a problem.” Theo rolled his eyes. “It’s called being courteous. I’m a dick, but I’m not that much of a dick. If you fell asleep before I did, I didn’t want to climb in the bed and wake you up.”

“I can sleep through a hurricane. Probably.” Stiles mused. “But okay, if you feel like sleeping on the floor, whatever.” She looked over at Allison. “Call Lydia. I know you want to.” 

“I do want to.” Allison agreed. “But is wanting to a good idea?”

Stiles’ lips twitched and she held a hand out to Allison. “Come with me. I have an idea.”

“Oh, gosh.” Allison blurted, then snorted out a laugh, grabbing Stiles’ hand. “Lead the way.”

Stiles walked out of the room and down the hall, to the room she was sharing with Theo. She unlocked the door to let herself and Allison in, then sat down on the bed. “Give me your phone.” She demanded, getting her own phone out and dialing Scott’s phone number. She put her phone on speaker.

Allison unlocked her phone and passed it over to Stiles warily, getting on the bed and sitting down with her legs crossed over each other.

Stiles used Allison’s phone to call Lydia, putting that on speaker, as well. She looked up at the hunter, smiling. “It’ll be fine.” 

“Allison?” Lydia answered. “Is everything all right?” 

“Yes.” Allison replied without thinking. “Everything is fine. How are you?”

“Stiles?” Scott’s voice echoed from the other line. “Dude, I’m so glad you called me again!”

“Yeah, we should probably talk about that.” Stiles remarked, snorting as she looked at Allison. “I’m not a dude, currently.” 

“Huh?” Scott said after a second. “Wait, what?”

Allison’s lips twitched, and she looked back at Stiles in amusement. “What she’s saying is that you probably shouldn’t fling the word ‘dude’ around willy-nilly right now.”

“But I always call Stiles dude. I always call everyone dude.” Scott protested. “I always - wait, Allison?”

“What’s going on?” Lydia demanded. “Is there a threat that we need to be aware of?” 

“Not unless you’re threatened by my sudden increase in estrogen.” Stiles laughed. “We’re calling to talk to you because we felt like it. I’m still pissed off at both of you. And Malia. But she’s not as important to me as you guys are. Were? Whatever.” 

“Basically we miss you.” Allison told them. “And Scott, in case you’re still confused, I’m putting it bluntly - Stiles is a girl right now.”

There was dead silence from Scott’s end of the phone before Scott started sputtering. “How did that even happen?”

“A witch was being nice to us today.” Stiles smiled. “Theo gets to rewrite his own past, kind of, and that’s going to have an impact on things, but it’s not something you’d notice. It won’t be like the Ghost Riders, taking everyone out of existence. Uh, as for me, let’s face it. I’m not the most masculine guy. It won’t hurt me to step back from that for a little while. I’ve got three months, give or take, and then she’ll undo it when I go to New Orleans. I trust her. That says a lot, right?” 

Scott sounded stunned. “Uh, yeah. By like, a lot. That’s… are you sure she wasn’t, like, a fairy godmother instead of a witch?”

“I mean, maybe?” Stiles guessed. “But if that’s the case, wouldn’t this wear off at midnight?” She laughed. “I’m going to buy a dress tomorrow.” 

“I’m missing out on shopping for clothes for you?” Lydia whined. “Where are you guys right now, anyway?” 

Stiles’ eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. “Nope.” She hung up Allison’s call, giving the other brunette an apologetic look. “Sorry. I don’t want her coming out here. I know you miss her and this would be great for the two of you, but - if you’re going to hang back and wait for her, let us have a head start to get out?” 

“I’m not staying here without you guys.” Allison replied firmly. “And I don’t want her to com, either. This is our trip.”

“What trip? Wait, Allison, you’re in the States?” Scott’s voice punched between things like a gun, causing Allison to jump.

“Nope.” Stiles said again, hanging up. She grimaced as she set her phone on the nightstand. “That was not one of my better ideas. Now I can’t talk to Scott again for at least a month.” 

Allison hummed. “I’ll remind you next month.” She told her, and then shrugged, leaning forward to hug Stiles. “Thanks for trying, anyway.”

Stiles hugged Allison in return. “Well, something kinda crappy had to happen today, everything else has been too good. I really meant it about going shopping, by the way. There’s nothing really out here on the island, but there’s a mall on our way back through Washington.” 

“We’ll go as soon as we’re off the island.” Allison promised, then tilted her head, looking thoughtful. “What style dress are you looking at wearing? Like, sleeveless? Boho?”

“I don’t know what ‘Boho’ even is.” Stiles laughed. “I don’t know what kind of dresses I want, either. I just feel like if I’m going to be like this for awhile, I might as well go all out, you know? I should probably shave my legs, too. And, uh, I’m - kind of thinking of going back on what I said about not having sex for awhile? I want to know what it’s like.” She looked embarrassed. 

“Well, yeah!” Allison blurted. “If I’d suddenly gotten transformed into a guy, I’d be right there with you!” 

Stiles grinned. “Maybe you can ask for that, when we see Kendra again. Or whatever her name actually is.” 

“Heh, maybe.” Allison leaned on her elbows. “Maybe Scott was right, and she wasn’t so much a witch as a fairy godmother.”

“It does make more sense.” Stiles agreed. She made a face. “I feel like it’s a total double-standard, but I’m not sure I want to have sex with some random guy I met in a club? It was fine when I was taller and could aim a punch without needing stilts.” She laughed. “Maybe I should download Tinder.” 

“Oh, god no.” Allison choked on a laugh. “Please don’t do that. We’ll find someone.”

“Okay.” Stiles smiled. “I think Theo’s afraid of bumping into me.” She laughed. “I know he said that’s not why he wants to sleep on the floor, but seriously.” 

“That makes sense, though.” Allison snorted. “Because if he still isn’t one hundred percent okay with doing anything with anyone, and then he… uh, bumps into you while you’re in bed with each other, and one thing leads to another, and boom, he’s just broken his promise to himself.”

“Yeah, but like, unless we were both naked and I slipped and landed on his dick, I don’t see that being an issue.” Stiles shrugged. She pursed her lips, then shook her head. Theo had expressed an interest in Allison, and even as a girl, Stiles knew better than to think she stood a chance of getting his attention. “You’ve lived all over this country. Where are the guys the hottest, between here and New Orleans?” 

Allison snorted out a laugh. “Honestly? Not any one place. They’re everywhere, you just have to be looking. But between you and me?” Allison’s eyes went distant as she thought. “I really enjoyed Denver.”

Stiles grinned. “Okay, then Denver is going to be our next major stop. I’m going to have to find a way to get my hands on some money, since I don’t want Derek having veto power on the clothes I’m planning to get for myself.” She laid back on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling. “I actually feel better, like this. In some ways.” 

“Yeah?” Allison smiled softly, staring at her. “Well… you look kind of amazing.” She tugged on the ends of her hair gently. “I could loan you some money, if you want to pay me back? Or if you don’t want to do that, we could see if we could get you one of those work-a-day jobs that Theo and I were doing in Seattle.”

“That sounds good to me.” Stiles nodded. “Working, I mean. I’ve never had a job. I mean, I sort of have? But it was a volunteer thing. I got paid in tips.” 

“With your dad, or something else?” Allison asked curiously. 

“Both?” Stiles laughed. “Around Christmas, there’s a gift-wrapping station set up downtown. I helped out when I was sixteen. I wasn’t actually around to help out, when I was seventeen.” She looked up at Allison. “It was still a good experience. The gift-wrapping, not being erased.” 

“Well, yeah.” Allison nodded. “I don’t think being erased would ever be a good experience anywhere. But you liked it, then, the gift-wrapping?” She furrowed her brows. “I know it’s not the time of the year for it, but maybe there could be something similar?”

“Yeah, maybe.” Stiles murmured. “I’m sure I can find work somewhere.” She shrugged one shoulder. “What have you guys ended up doing?” 

“Assembly, sometimes.” Allison replied. “There was one thing where I literally got paid to tell people where to park their cars during some kind of outdoor concert. Nobody famous, it was like… symphonic or something, I don’t know.”

“That sounds like an awesome job, though.” Stiles sat up again, running her fingers through her hair. “This feels like we’re living like Winchesters, but without any actual monster hunting. It’s a little odd to not have to fight for anything.” 

Allison snorted out a laugh. “I mean, it’s kind of a relief to not have to fight anyone or for anything. I don’t mind the fighting, but it’s nice to not have to run for our lives.”

“Yeah.” Stiles laughed. “Well, I’m probably going to end up going stir crazy if I don’t have something to research, soon.” 

“Research…” Allison repeated softly, her brows furrowing together. She straightened. “Maybe that’s a thing you can do. You can find a job at, I don’t know, a college or a university or a lab or something doing research.”

“I’d love that.” Stiles grinned. “If we’re going to be somewhere for awhile, after we leave this island, I might talk Derek into getting us a temporary apartment. It’ll be cheaper than hotel rooms.” 

“Derek would do it in a heartbeat.” Allison laughed softly. “Maybe we could actually stay in Denver for a little bit, too. Oh, but - Montana. We have to go back north toward Montana at some point.” She grinned. “I lived there for awhile, and I miss it.”

“We could go to Montana before we go to Denver.” Stiles nodded. “I was already looking at our options. Trust me, Montana is not a state we’re skipping. Nebraska, maybe. If we have to make up time somewhere, that’ll be where we do it.” 

Allison’s lips twitched. “Stull Cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas?” She suggested, her eyes gleaming. 

Stiles grinned, holding her hand up. “Yes! High-five! There’s a reason I still like plaid.” 

Allison giggled and put her hand out to high-five Stiles. “It’s only where I’ve always wanted to go that I’ve never been, you know? Which I realize sounds weird for other people, but you have sense and aren’t like other people.”

Stiles grinned. “Thanks? We’re not opening any gates of hell, but if we don’t at least go see it, we’re wasting this entire trip.” 

“Agreed. And yeah, I meant it as a compliment.” Allison laughed, looking embarrassed. “Not that great with words when I want to be.”

“Hey, you’re preaching to the choir.” Stiles nodded. “There’s a lot of stuff we need to do. We should make a list of places to visit.” 

Allison grabbed her phone, opening up a text file and laughing. She typed in ‘Denver,’ then ‘Montana,’ and finally ‘Lawrence’ before looking at Stiles. “Okay, go. We can show this to Derek and Theo later and get their input on where they might want to go.”

Stiles nodded again. “I draw the line at giant balls of yarn. I have enough of that in my suitcase.” She frowned, standing up. “I need to take care of something else. Sleep can wait.”


	7. I'll Follow You Out of the Dark

Theo rubbed his eyes as he walked down the block, his book clutched in his hand. He wasn't tired, but he felt overwhelmed and wary of the book. Stiles' gift had benefitted him - her - but Derek had looked like someone stabbed him in the chest. Theo wasn't so sure that the book would help him. He believed he had suffered enough, and conversations with Stiles had reaffirmed that. He sat down with his back against the light post, glancing up to check for bats before he laughed at himself and opened the book that Kendra had given him.

"I followed you. I'm not good at stalking. I probably shouldn't have told you that." Stiles kneeled down, facing Theo. "I feel like I've failed at being your Yoda. You asked me to help you, and I'm not doing a good enough job. I don't deserve to be called Yoda. As teachers go, I'm more like Umbridge." She grimaced. "Okay, no. I know I'm not that bad."

Theo shook his head at her, laughing. "It's fine. I just want to get through this book. If it helps me. If it doesn't, maybe you can stop it, somehow?"

"How?" Stiles eyed the book warily.

"I don't know. You're the trickster. You'll figure out something, right?" Theo gestured for her to come sit beside him. "You want to be a guide for me, read this to me. I'll decide on answers as we go. I trust you not to lead me down the wrong path."

Stiles smiled faintly as she squirmed into place beside him, under the light post. She took the book and opened it to the first page. "Theo Raeken sat in his bedroom, trying to get his homework done before dinner. His mother promised him ice cream for dessert if he succeeded. His asthma made that dessert a rare treat. But all thoughts of his math worksheet went away when he heard a metallic clicking noise and looked up to see three people in masks and heavy coats." She looked over at Theo, then looked back down at the book. She hadn't realized that they ambushed him. In her mind, he had always looked for opportunities for himself. "The Doctors, as they called themselves, promised Theo that he could have ice cream whenever he wanted, if he followed their instructions. Instead of dessert tonight, he had to ask if his sister could take him for a walk in the woods, near their house. 'We'll give you her heart.' They told Theo. 'You won't have asthma anymore.' Theo only had a few seconds to make his decision, since his mother was calling him to dinner. If Theo decides to ask Tara to take him for a walk, turn to page ten. If he ignores the idea, turn to page twenty." She looked over at Theo.

Theo tilted his head back. "Page ten." He licked his lips, his eyes wide as he looked at Stiles. "If I say page twenty, I'm not a chimera anymore, and I have asthma and heart problems. I might even die. Please... please don't be mad at me."

"There are a lot of decisions I've made." Stiles shook her head slowly. "I would make them again and again. This is just the beginning. We'll get to the end of this together, okay?"

"Okay." Theo took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as Stiles turned to page ten.

"Theo woke up in a strange bedroom with a barely-noticeable scar on his chest. The Doctors explained that he was in their care now, and that his parents had forgotten his existence." Stiles reached out to put a hand on Theo's arm as she spoke, since she knew how it felt to be erased from someone's memory. "Years passed, and Theo was only allowed an hour above ground each day. As a child, he spent that hour on the playground with other kids. As he got older, his hour could be spent doing whatever he wanted. Sometimes, he went to the library. Sometimes, he went to high school games..." Stiles trailed off, looking up at Theo.

"Keep reading." Theo demanded, not meeting her gaze.

"On a Saturday in April, the Beacon Hills High School lacrosse team was playing their championship game, and Theo was sitting on the bleachers. He was eager to see 'his' team win. Even though he wasn't in public school and hadn't been for years, he knew that he would have been at the same high school as Scott McCall and Mieczyslaw Stilinski, his childhood friends. When Scott disappeared from the field, Stiles was called out to the field to take the werewolf's place, and he scored three goals, winning the game. In the celebration of the crowd, Stiles disappeared. Theo was tempted to follow the teenager's scent, but his watch beeped, and he knew that his time above-ground was over for the night. If Theo follows after Stiles, turn to page thirty. If he goes back to his bedroom in the tunnels, turn to page forty."

"I can do this differently." Theo remarked, looking over at Stiles. "If I follow you, I can save you. I can save Erica and Boyd."

"Or you could get murdered. Gerard Argent isn't someone you want to piss off." Stiles eyed the book, then grabbed a dollar from her pocket and used it like a bookmark, closing the novel as she got up on her knees. "Listen. We don't need the book for this, right now. Close your eyes." She gripped his hand, closing her own eyes. Suddenly, they were on the lacrosse field, watching as Gerard dragged a younger, male Stiles through the crowd. The older, female Stiles looked around for Theo's younger self, spotting him a few feet away. "If you follow, you're going to need to do it carefully."

"Like I don't know that?" Theo retorted. "I'm always careful."

"Not always." Stiles protested. "This is the night that the alpha pack takes Erica and Boyd, and by the time we find them, Erica is dead. I'm asking you to be careful. We can save her, but I'm not risking you to make that happen. Okay? No more losing people. That's my rule."

The younger Theo got a determined look in his eyes and stole a car from the parking lot, following Gerard's SUV out of the parking lot. The scenery changed around the older Stiles and Theo, and they were standing in a corner of the Argents' basement, where Erica and Boyd were chained up. Gerard backhanded younger Stiles, knocking him to the floor.

"Asshole." Theo snarled.

"Hypocrite." Female Stiles snorted, shaking her head when Theo frowned at her. "I'm over it! Just wait a minute. He'll leave the room and you can come in through the basement window."

The sound of shattering glass made Erica, Boyd and Stiles turn toward the window, watching as Theo dropped in and turned off the machine supplying electricity to Erica and Boyd. He kept his gaze on the stairs as the other three teenagers climbed out the window, then followed them out.

"What happens now?" Theo asked Stiles.

Stiles let go of Theo's hand, bringing them back to the present. She picked up the book and opened it, turning to page thirty. She read the page out loud. "Congratulations, you're beginning to understand. Turn to page thirty-eight." She flipped through the pages. "Stiles, Erica and Boyd told the Sheriff about Gerard's attempted kidnapping over the phone, as Theo drove them to a safer location. Gerard was arrested, but he was set free by a hunter who was working as a deputy. The alpha pack still had Cora, but they didn't have a chance to kidnap the other beta werewolves, who refused to go anywhere alone for the rest of that summer. Theo started spending his hour interacting with people, instead of just observing them. The Doctors didn't like this, and they packed his things for him and told him that they were done with him."

"What the hell does that me-" Theo grimaced, reaching out blindly for Stiles' hand when pain started to overwhelm him.

Stiles gripped Theo's hand, wincing in pain at how tightly he was squeezing, as she read the rest of the page out loud. "Theo had a decision to make. Ow. Jesus christ, would you just..." The answer was obvious, but she hated herself for thinking of it, even as she straddled his legs and kissed him. Theo being above ground meant that Jennifer Blake took notice of him, and that he hadn’t had sex yet, so he was targeted for being a virgin. 

Theo let go of Stiles' hand, startled and not overwhelmed by pain anymore.

Stiles pulled back, looking at him. "I had to do something, and it was either kiss you or punch you in the face." She shook her head. "It doesn't have to mean anything. I don't know what happened to you just now, but I can guess. I'm going to keep reading, okay?" She wondered if kissing him now somehow rippled back to him losing his virginity during junior year, but she had no way of knowing if she had been involved in that. Things were still settling in her mind. 

"Okay." Theo nodded.

Stiles cleared her throat as she sat back down beside him. "Continue reading on the next page." She scoffed, but her gaze went to page thirty-nine. "As junior year approached, Theo had to make a decision about where he was going to live, and how he would start attending school. If he goes to the police station, turn to page forty-three. If he goes to the hospital, turn to page fifty-six."

"That sounds like I'm choosing between being a McCall or a Stilinski." Theo snorted. "Isn't there a third option? I could go live with Derek as one of his betas. If he'll take me."

Stiles nudged Theo's shoulder with her own. "Well, I overrode the book before, I can do it again." She turned to a page closer to the back of the book, making up an option when the page was blank. The words appeared as she spoke them. "Theo asked Derek to be his legal guardian. Derek was hesitant, but Erica and Boyd reminded their alpha that Theo had saved them from the Argents' basement, back in April." The rest of the page filled with text, and Stiles kept reading. "The school year started, and Theo was sitting in English class when cell phones started beeping with incoming text messages. The teacher walked in, reading the words out loud, with a smile on her face. She had sent the message to them." Stiles looked up at Theo. "I hate this bitch. She's the reason I got possessed."

"But it saved your dad?" Theo asked quietly.

"Well, yeah." Stiles murmured.

"Then it was worth it, right?" Theo smiled when Stiles laughed. "What?"

"One decision that changed your life and you're already more optimistic and sunshine-y. What a burden." Stiles smirked.

"Shut up. Keep reading." Theo grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Okay. I can't do both of those things." Stiles snorted. She looked back down at the book, her eyes skimming over the words. “Hold on, it changed again on me. It’s moving ahead. I can’t keep up...” The words were starting to blur, like someone had started scrolling too fast on a teleprompter. “Okay, it stopped. Um. ‘This is your final choice. Be careful!’ Thanks for that? ‘Theo looked down at the money in his hand, courtesy of Peter Hale. He had intended to go to Seattle, to find Stiles. But now that he had more money and could go wherever he wanted, he saw the future open up to him. If Theo goes to Seattle, turn to page one-hundred. If Theo goes somewhere else, turn to page ninety-nine.” 

“If I pick somewhere else, I disappear, and then where do I get the book?” Theo frowned. “This doesn’t make a lot of sense.” 

“Just trust it. It’s worked out so far. How are you feeling?” Stiles studied him. 

“Better.” Theo smiled hesitantly. “Not guilty?” 

Stiles laughed again. “So, which page are you choosing?” 

Theo shook his head. “That’s easy.” He replied, smiling crookedly. “I still went to Seattle.”

Stiles turned to page one-hundred. “The End... so far.” She read, looking up at him. “Well, now you’ve had a couple of years of normal.” She murmured. “Or at least, normal for Beacon Hills. Erica and Boyd are alive. Everything is different. Much better, though. See? We needed you.” 

Theo furrowed his brows. “Yeah… I guess so. But, does this mean that we saved Cora eventually? Or did I cost Derek his sister by saving you, Erica and Boyd?” As opposed to looking guilty, he simply looked curious and a little confused. “This stuff is gonna start slotting into my brain eventually, right?”

“Probably after a good night of sleep.” Stiles nodded. “But as far as I know, Cora’s still alive.” 

Theo nodded slowly. “Okay. Yeah, good.” He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to reconcile the thoughts swarming in his head, from his new memories to Stiles kissing him. He cleared his throat and slowly stood up. “Sleep sounds like a good thing right now.”

“You’re telling me.” Stiles picked up the book. She thought about throwing it away, but she couldn’t part with it. If anything went wrong, she was certain that she could reverse time with the book and fix things. “I was exhausted before I came out here. But like I said, I’m trying to be a better Yoda.” 

Theo smiled at her softly. “Well… I personally think you’re doing pretty damn well.”

“Thanks.” Stiles got to her feet. “Allison and I were talking about going to Stull Cemetery, in Kansas.” 

“That… name feels familiar.” Theo frowned, looking at Stiles. “Why do I know that name?”

“Have you ever seen an episode of Supernatural?” Stiles smiled. “It’s a cemetery that has a gate to hell.” 

“The gate to hell is in a cemetery in Kansas.” Theo repeated, and then laughed. “Why not. Is that why you two wanna see it? Because of the show?”

“Yeah. We’re nerds.” Stiles grinned. “But anyway, the Winchesters. We need to get you caught up on things.” 

“Sure. Is that a thing we can do while we’re on the road?” Theo asked curiously. 

“I have my laptop and a Netflix account.” Stiles nodded. “And a Hulu account. Name a show, I can find it.” She sneezed, then grimaced. “If I’m sick, you can just watch things without me. I’ll probably just sleep on the drive.” 

“Noted. But it probably won’t be as much fun.” Theo huffed, smiling crookedly. 

Stiles smiled back. “Maybe not.” She agreed, sighing in relief when they got to the inn. “I’m going shopping at some point, but probably not until I find a day job like you guys get. Actually, if you don’t object to it, and Derek is okay with it? I was thinking we could get a temporary lease in Denver. Stay in an apartment.” 

“I don’t have a problem with it.” Theo shrugged. “It’ll be nice, I think. We could have a place we could technically call home, even if it’s just for a little while.”

Stiles grinned. “Exactly. And you’ll have a place where you can get a passport mailed to you, without any trouble. And then we can go to New Orleans, and New York. And Paris!” She thought about telling Theo her plan to find someone to have sex with, in Colorado. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Maybe if they stayed, she could even have a boyfriend - but she figured that was a pipe dream, too. 

“Cool,” Theo laughed. “I can’t wait to go. It’ll be my first time out of the country, and it’s not like I’ve had any other opportunity.” He tilted his head. “Well, other than Mexico.”

Stiles opened her mouth to protest, then remembered Theo coming with her and everyone else, in an effort to find Derek. They had split up between Theo’s truck, Stiles’ Jeep and Scott’s motorbike. She laughed softly at the memory of Erica making a few jokes at Scott’s expense, where the true alpha couldn’t hear them. “Mexico was a little scary, but not as bad as I thought it might be.” She opened the door to the building, turning to face Theo. “Having you with us made a big difference.” She gestured to her head. “I’m still remembering both versions of it.” 

Theo smiled. “I’m seeing the only version I know. I’m just glad we rescued Derek.”

“So am I.” Stiles stepped backward into the inn. “He’s been a good friend. Like a brother to me. Except for, uh, when I first met him. That was an awkward point in my life.” 

Theo followed her, his hands in his pockets. “What happened the first time you met him?”

“Scott lost his inhaler.” Stiles laughed. “So we went back to the woods to find it. It was the day after Peter bit Scott. And we were looking around for it, when this voice says ‘this is private property.’” She did her best impression of Derek’s gruff voice. “I couldn’t even say anything, I was like a goldfish.” She opened her mouth, widening her eyes and laughing. “Scott told Derek that we were looking for the inhaler, and Derek threw it to him.” She paused. “It’s weird. I’m able to look back and see myself as being female then, even though I obviously wasn’t.” 

“What makes the difference for you?” Theo asked her. “I mean, besides the obvious, obviously.”

“Being able to fit in my skin.” Stiles shrugged. “I didn’t hate who I was, as a guy. I won’t cry if this somehow wears off tonight, while I sleep. But I’ve never felt... I’ve always done the stereotypically feminine things. The baking and the cooking, the laundry. Now knitting and crocheting stuff. I’m attracted to men. Women too, but mostly men. I’d say it’s a sixty-forty sort of situation. I - when I was with Malia, I was the little spoon.” She laughed. “And I didn’t mind it. I want to be taken care of, I guess? God, that sounds shitty. I know a lot of women and they could easily kick the shit out of me, regardless of whether or not the body I’m in has a penis. I’m not saying women are weaker. I’m weaker, I guess?” 

“I don’t think you are.” Theo said, frowning. “I mean, maybe strength is relative, but I don’t think you’re weak. Derek’s always been the one with the physical strength, but you’ve got the smarts, and he listens to you.”

Stiles nodded. She tilted her head, then laughed. “There was this time - uh, it’s a Scott story, but anyway - we went to Jungle to deal with Jackson, and Scott didn’t realize it was a gay bar. I ended up befriending a lot of drag queens. It should have maybe occurred to me sooner that I was okay with this.” She gestured to herself. “I should call them.” 

“You keep in contact with them?” Theo tilted his head. “How long has it been since the last time you talked to them?”

“I called them after I got back from the train station.” Stiles looked around, relieved when she didn’t see anyone in the common areas. She sat down in a chair, not ready to climb the stairs and go back to their room. “And they invited me out before I went to D.C., to give me graduation presents.” She laughed. “Eyeliner and a gift card to Sephora.” She pursed her lips. “I never did use that card. I should do it now.” 

Theo laughed. “Save it for when you go do your shopping thing with Allison.” He told her. 

“Yeah, we’re planning on that being in a few hours.” Stiles grinned. “On our way back through Washington, toward Montana.” 

“I thought we were going to Lawrence, next.” Theo’s lips twitched as he watched Stiles. “Where to, after that? Or is this a ‘Stiles and Allison Only’ destination thing?” He teased. 

“No!” Stiles laughed. “You get to decide on places, too. Just as long as they don’t interfere with where we want to go.” She teased. “Is there somewhere you want to go?” 

“Ah… a lot of places, actually.” Theo mused. “But I’d like to look at a map first, before I decide for sure.”

“Well, we’re going to have plenty of time.” Stiles glanced at her watch. “Before we do anything else, sleep is kind of necessary. Unless we both crash out while Ally and Derek drive? Either way.” She stood up. “But I'd like to at least get a couple of hours in. Are you coming up, or are you still worried about bumping into me?” She snorted. 

Theo rolled his eyes. “If you’re not worried about it, then I won’t be.” He stood as well, running a hand through his hair. “Besides, I don’t wanna put all the driving on them.” He furrowed his brow. “Although two cars is getting to be a little much now, isn’t it? We keep buying stuff, and it’s filling up the back, and… maybe we should just look at squishing into one car?” He looked hesitant. “We don’t have to, like, get rid of either of these, but we could put them in storage or something to keep them safe.”

“Sounds good, in theory.” Stiles mused. “But I like having two vehicles, in case we need the second one. Like, if you and Ally keep going off to work, or if all three of us do, then Derek might want a mode of transportation for himself? And if we stuck something in storage out here, we’d have to come back for it after we settle in somewhere, in Denver. Although, now that I’m thinking about it, we might be better off just parking our vehicles somewhere in Beacon Hills, before we go to Paris. It’ll save us on storage fees.” 

“So… head back down to Beacon Hills, park the cars, grab a bigger one to fit all four of us easily, and then take off on the rest of our trip?” Theo asked. 

“The rest of our lives.” Stiles laughed. “But yes, that works for me. I just hope we don’t bump into anyone. I don’t want to deal with Scott losing his shit about me looking like this.” She waved a hand at Theo as she walked toward the stairs. “Come on. Tomorrow’s a new day, and I mean that completely literally.”


	8. These Children That You Spit On

_July 4, 2011_

Theo shoved his second box into the back of his truck and got in the driver’s seat. He felt like his hands were shaking, but they looked perfectly steady as he gripped the steering wheel in front of him. He wondered which of the Doctors had decided that kicking him out on Independence Day was clever, but he snorted to himself and shook his head. It didn’t matter. He was on his own and he didn’t have anywhere to go. With one box full of clothes and another full of books, he supposed he could have gone anywhere he wanted - but there was only one place he felt like going. He drove through town, pulling up in front of a familiar house on Woodbine Lane. He reached for the door handle on his truck, but the realization that the Jeep wasn’t there had him reconsidering. There would be no point in trying to discuss his plight with the Sheriff; he was pretty sure that John Stilinski didn’t even know the sort of things that Stiles and his friends had endured in the past several months. He laughed sadly to himself as he wondered what would happen if he just walked up, knocked on the door, and revealed everything. He doubted that Stiles would appreciate that, so he started the truck again and drove past the diner he knew Stiles still frequented. There was no sign of the Jeep anywhere downtown, but he slammed on his brakes and swerved into the lot outside of an apartment building, parking beside the Jeep and getting out. Given Stiles’ propensity for getting into one dangerous situation or another, Theo moved as quietly as he could, keeping his feet on the outer edges of the stairs as he made his way up each flight. The middle portion of each step was more commonly used and more likely to creak under his weight, and he didn’t want to announce his presence to a potential threat. When he reached the top floor of the building, he heard several voices talking over each other. Theo hesitated, listening to snippets of conversation as he tried to decide what to do.

“... isn’t like we’re planning to leave again, Der.” Erica said softly, staring at the older man. She glanced at Boyd, and then back at Derek. “We learned our lesson. The pack is what matters, the pack is what helps us survive. We never should have left you.”

Derek rubbed a hand over his face, sighing. “I’m glad you understand about pack now.” He said quietly. 

“That’s great.” Stiles’ tone was sincere. “But we’re still trying to deal with this alpha pack problem. I don’t understand why. Chris could just call every hunter he knows - and trusts - and wipe them out. They’re a problem. I know that murder is bad and all, but what are we going to do, lock them up in jail and wait for them to bend the bars and slaughter anyone in their way as they leave? I’m not losing my dad for a bunch of red-eyed assholes.” 

Allison huffed. “Well, I’m in agreement with Stiles.” She murmured. “If these alphas are as big and bad as we think they are, then I’m going to talk my dad into calling in reinforcements. The more people on our side, the better.”

Theo felt like that was his cue, so he knocked on the door and stepped back to wait, listening to confused murmurs inside the apartment as more than one set of footsteps approached. 

Stiles wrenched the door open, giving Theo a confused smile. “What are you doing here?” He gestured for Theo to come in, not the least bit concerned about the fact that it wasn’t his place to welcome the chimera into the loft. 

“I got kicked out.” Theo admitted, eyeing everyone else warily as he walked through the doorway. He wasn’t sure how welcome he actually was, but he nodded and smiled politely at Erica and Boyd. “I actually came looking for you.” He told Stiles. “You weren’t at home.” 

Stiles blinked, staring back at Theo. He glanced over his shoulder at Derek, then looked back at the chimera. “What do you mean, you got kicked out?” 

Derek straightened, frowning a little at Theo in curiosity. 

Theo rubbed the palm of his hand over his face and exhaled. “I mean, I’m not up to the Doctors’ standards anymore. They wanted an observer, and… I stopped observing, so I could talk to people. Straw that broke the camel’s back, I guess. They threw me out.”

“Oh, right.” Stiles muttered, smiling in embarrassment. “Derek, everybody, this is Theo. He’s the reason that I wasn’t murdered by a geriatric bastard. Erica and Boyd, too.” He laughed. “Man, when you slid through that basement window, I felt like I should start going to church.” 

Theo shot him a crooked grin. “Hallelujah chorus ringing in your ears?” He shot back. 

Erica made her way toward Theo, smiling. “Something like that.” She murmured. “Thanks for - thank you. What you did - was probably insane, but you saved our asses, so… I’m not complaining.”

Theo didn’t feel like explaining that his obsession with Stiles was the only thing that had really saved the three captives, that night. “What’s going on now? I know I shouldn’t have, but I was listening from the hallway. Not the whole time or anything. I’m not that creepy. Or at least, I’d like to think so. You’ve got a pack of alphas bothering you?” 

Allison observed him for a moment. “Yes.” She replied. “Five of them. One is blind, one is a lunatic that walks around barefoot with her claws sticking out, one’s a meathead, and the other two are twins.”

“I’m still having trouble with the ‘twin’ thing. How do you have twin alphas?” Scott muttered, frowning. 

“I think the important question, again, is how do we kill them?” Stiles muttered. “Honestly, it would just solve all of our problems if we could just kill everything that wants us dead.” 

Theo smiled faintly, nodding in agreement, even though he got the feeling that he wasn’t endearing himself to the pack by doing so. He turned his attention to Allison. “Weren’t you supposed to be in Paris for the summer?” 

“How would you even know that?” Stiles interrupted, frowning. 

Theo shifted in place, and then said, pointedly, “Observing.”

Erica snorted. 

Allison smiled crookedly. “Some things came up. I have my priorities.”

“Okay, first of all, observing and stalking are not the same thing.” Stiles protested. “And secondly...” He looked a little hopeful. “What are the odds that you can convince your, uh, foster psychos to take out a pack of alphas?” 

“You’re welcome to ask them yourself.” Theo muttered. “I think if I went back, they might kill me to make a point to me. It wouldn't matter that I can’t exactly learn a lesson if I’m dead.” 

“Then I guess you aren’t going back.” Scott said quietly, glancing up at Theo. He looked at Stiles and shrugged. “Like Allison said - all the allies we can get. We can’t count on anyone unwilling, and I don’t think the Doctors are, uh… willing.”

Stiles nodded at Scott. He was grateful for more assistance, too. But his waning crush on Derek and his burgeoning one on Theo made him feel incredibly awkward, and he couldn’t help wondering if one or both could sense - or, in this case, scent - his interest. 

Theo bobbed his head, looking at them in gratitude. “Uh, there is… um, one thing, though.” He licked his lips nervously, eyeing Derek. The older man hadn’t said a thing since Theo had come in, and he didn’t know if Derek had already made a decision on his presence. “I need a pack. And I kind of - I want to join yours.”

Derek immediately stiffened. “That’s not - I don’t know if that would be the wisest decision.” He replied, frowning deeply. 

“Okay, what?!” Stiles blurted. “First of all, you’re the one always yapping about alphas needing as many betas as they can get, to have a stronger pack. Secondly, I can vouch for him.” 

“Yeah, I can, too.” Boyd nodded. “You’d be down two betas if he hadn’t come along and gotten us out of that basement.” 

“Three.” Erica corrected, glancing at Derek, and then more pointedly at Stiles. She shook her head. “He saved our lives, Der. The least you can do is give him a chance.”

Derek glowered at her, sighing and rolling his eyes skyward for a moment before he pursed his lips. “Fine.” He murmured, and turned to Theo. “You’re welcome to join the pack, as a token of thanks for what you did for my betas.”

“Don’t say it like you mean it, or anything.” Stiles snorted. He couldn’t help smiling a moment later, because he hadn’t been sure that he was really part of the pack at all. He thought his lack of wolf-itude made that impossible. 

There was a very, very faint twitch at the corner of Derek’s mouth as he glanced at Stiles. “I can take it back.” He threatened idly, raising an eyebrow.

Stiles turned to face Derek fully. “Is this what we’re doing now?” He shook his head, smirking. With Scott in summer school, Stiles had found himself without a lot to do. He had started spending more time around Derek and his pack, offering pointers in their training, the same way he had with Finstock, during lacrosse games. Seeing that Derek needed help communicating had been kind of endearing, but Stiles had surmised that the older man wouldn’t ever be interested in him, so his attraction needed to go away. It turned into a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ sort of situation, with Stiles addressing Derek as ‘dude’ and ‘bro’ half the time. He relied on that, now. “Dude, if you don’t let him into this pack, I’m going to feel obligated to help him find another one that will take him. All of my time and research is gonna go into that. Besides, it’s been a month and these alpha guys haven’t done anything. Maybe they’re just here on vacation.” He wasn’t that naive, but it helped drive his point home, he knew. 

“When has that ever been our luck?” Derek pointed out. He shook his head. “No. I’m not rejecting him. He can take his place in this pack. He saved my people.” He glanced toward Theo and nodded. “And I’m grateful for that.”

Theo nodded back. “Thank you, Derek.” Even though he had grown tired of being lectured by the Doctors and had only wanted a normal life for himself, he was grateful that he had learned a lot from them. Despite being exhausted and terrified, and having no idea where his next meal was coming from, he was mindful of being polite to his alpha. 

Derek’s eyes softened, and he nodded back. “It’s not a problem.” He promised.

* * *

_August 10, 2011_

“Hello, Derek.” Deucalion smiled as he approached the alpha werewolf, his cane tapping against the floor. “How has your summer been?” He turned his head toward Derek, despite not being able to see him. He had needed a little time to track without sight. It hadn’t taken too long to adjust. Tracking by scent was something he was already familiar with, and he had adjusted to paying more attention to heartbeat and breathing patterns. 

Derek stiffened, his own eyes tracking the older man warily. “What do you want?” He demanded instead of answering. He didn’t care about formalities - he just wanted to know what Deucalion wanted, and how he could use it to defeat the alpha pack a little more quickly. 

Deucalion laughed lightly. “Those hunters have done a real number on you, haven’t they? I know what that’s like. You don’t have to fear me, Derek. I only want what’s best for this town. For our kind.” 

“At the cost of humanity. Not a huge price to pay at all, except it kind of is.” Derek muttered, scowling at the older wolf. “Seriously, just tell me what you want, and then leave.”

“Have you ever been to South America?” Deucalion asked, ignoring Derek’s angry request. “I’ve heard that it’s lovely, year-round.” 

“What - Okay?” Derek stared at him, bewildered. “What does that have to do with anything? No, I’ve never been to South America, but I don’t think you actually care about that.”

Deucalion’s smile only widened. “It was nice seeing you again, Derek.” He remarked, amused. “Or, well, you understand the sentiment. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again, eventually.” 

“I sincerely hope not.” Derek replied, glaring at Deucalion. He didn’t understand why the older wolf looked so amused, or what on earth South America had to do with anything, and it irritated him like nothing else that he couldn’t get a solid grip on what the alpha wanted.

“No, perhaps not, then.” Deucalion murmured. “I wouldn’t want to Rex - pardon me, _wreck_ your summer.” He started walking away, listening as Derek’s heart rate increased. 

Derek stared after the blind man, his breath quickening. It obviously had been intentional, the way Deucalion had dropped that name - and there had only been one person on earth who had ever called him that. But she was gone, long gone; the heat of the fire had burned so hot, and they’d recovered everyone’s body but hers, but it wasn’t possible… A soft sound escaped Derek’s throat. He needed to talk to his uncle, and his pack, as quickly as possible.

“Derek.” Theo eyed the blind man warily, walking around him and frowning at the obvious signs of distress that Derek was exhibiting. “Come on, don’t worry about food. Stiles is bringing over enough to feed an army, and I want to get there before Erica eats it all.” 

Derek shakily turned, keeping his eyes on Deucalion until the absolute last second that he could until his gaze locked on Theo’s. He nodded slowly. “Remind me to call my uncle.” He said softly as he started to walk.

“Yeah, no problem.” It had been just over a month since Theo had been welcomed into the pack, and he was used to being given orders, thanks to the Doctors treating him like their own super-soldier. It was a habit he was trying to break himself of, but he felt like it was taking him longer than it should have. It probably didn’t help that he was willing to jump without asking ‘how high’, whenever something even sounded like a command. 

Derek’s mind was racing as they walked, and he found himself opening his mouth several times to say something to Theo - what, he didn’t know - only to close his mouth once more. Eventually, he realized that despite Theo being pack, perhaps he still had enough of an outside perspective that he’d be able to help Derek decipher what kind of game Deucalion might be playing. “My baby sister… she had a nickname for me when we were kids.” He began slowly. “She’s the only one who ever called me by it.” He folded his arms over his chest almost protectively. “If she’d survived the fire, she’d be about your age, yours and the rest of the pack’s.” He frowned. “It could be nothing, it could - Deucalion could have just been trying to play with my mind, but… what are the odds that he would have just _known_ a name that no one but my long-dead sister ever called me?”

“Well, I’m assuming the nickname isn’t ‘Derek.’” Theo remarked, smirking faintly before he gave the matter serious thought. “He had to get the information from somewhere. It’s possible that he knew your mom and it somehow was mentioned in passing, but that’s more of a leap than the idea of him having met your sister. So that means he knows where she is. Do you know him?” 

“No.” Derek mumbled. “He’s been to Beacon Hills before, and he did know my mother, before he became…” his hand gestured and he grimaced. “That. But I had never met him personally.” He frowned. “And they never found my sister’s body after the fire. They - and we - just assumed that everything had burned so hot that…” he shook his head. “In any case, we never found her.”

“So it’s possible that she’s still alive.” Theo mused. “So we’ll find her, if she is.” He hesitated, then nodded to himself as he decided to tell Derek something that the alpha might not have been aware of. “I had an older sister. Her name was Tara. She died when I was nine. I don’t feel guilty for it, and I probably should. I was manipulated into letting her die. I trusted adults that I shouldn’t have, and they kidnapped me, replaced my weak heart with hers and taught me that emotions were weakness. I’m trying to get past that way of thinking, but I don’t know if I should. I think, misguided as they were, they weren’t wrong. I can focus on things that need to be done instead of how I might feel about it, later. But I know that other people have more of an attachment to their biological relatives than I do.” 

Derek gazed at Theo with a small frown. “I learned the opposite.” He admitted. “My mother - she taught us all to use our emotions. That they were sources, fonts, of power for us. She made sure that we knew how to separate ourselves and our feelings during a situation that didn’t call for it, but otherwise… I’ve never believed that emotions were weak.” He studied the younger man. “I can see how it might be easier for you. But if it’s something that you can’t see yourself following anymore, now that your situation has changed, you can come to me. I’ll do my best to teach you.” He fell silent, and then added softly, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about your sister.”

Theo nodded. “I know this is where I should say that I am, too. But I’m not.” He shrugged. “If she was alive, I might not be. I had a lot of health problems when I was younger. I can spend the life I have mourning the one she lost, or I can make my life have more meaning.” 

Derek hummed thoughtfully, his brows drawing together. “Makes sense.” He murmured, because it did. Theo had managed to understand in his relatively shorter life what Derek was still struggling to figure out - how to move on, how to keep death from hindering his attempts at living. Granted, Derek had seen more death than most for as young as he was - he was only twenty-two, after all - but from the moment he’d lost his connection to his parents and cousins and brothers, he’d struggled to find a way out of his grief. Still… the idea that someone might have survived the fire, someone had escaped; he could practically feel the pathetic little spark of hope trying to grow in his chest. “Do you think it’s possible?” He asked quietly. “That she made it out, that she… made it back to Beacon Hills?”

“If she did, then it’s likely that he has her.” Theo frowned. “Do you remember her scent?” He was already getting his phone out of his pocket to send a mass text, but he waited for Derek’s response. It would make a difference in what he told everyone. 

Derek hesitated. “It’s been years, but… I think I do.” He murmured.

“Then we’ll find her.” Theo said confidently. He started typing on his phone. ‘Meet at the loft. Derek ran into an alpha from A-pack.’

‘Be there soon,’ Scott replied. 

‘Shit. Is he okay?’ Erica texted back. 

‘Physically, yeah.’ Theo responded. ‘See you soon.’ He grabbed a bottle of water for Derek from the fridge and brought it to him. His phone beeped a few more times, but he didn’t feel like checking to see who else was on their way. Instead, he started cleaning up the mess on the coffee table and making sure the rest of the loft was immaculate. He hadn’t had anywhere else to go, and Isaac was already spending most of his time at Scott’s. He knew that Derek would have fewer rules for him than John Stilinski would, so the decision to stay at the loft had been an obvious one. He kept the place as clean as he could, since he didn’t know what he would do if Derek ever kicked him out. 

“Thank you.” Derek said quietly, not looking up. He fiddled with the water bottle, more to keep his hands busy than anything else, because there was every chance that he would lose control and either wolf out or shake uncontrollably. He swallowed hard, his mind swarming with thoughts. The idea that his younger sister was alive after all this time both thrilled him and made his stomach hurt. Why hadn’t she come to find him before? Or had Deucalion held her prisoner all this time? Would he recognize her scent? Would he even recognize her face? He found himself doubly grateful to Theo for looking after him, and looking after the loft; there weren’t many willing to do so to begin with. “It means a lot, having you here.” He added belatedly. “I know you didn’t sign on to babysit me.”

“I’m not babysitting you.” Theo protested. “I’m earning the right to be here. You didn’t allow me to stay, just for me to start getting lazy. I’ve already been kicked out of one place for not following rules. I'm trying not to make it a habit.” 

Derek smiled faintly. “That’s good to know.” He murmured. “But all the same, I appreciate it.”

“Honestly, I’ve just been trying to think of what Stiles would do.” Theo admitted, laughing softly. “He’s better at all of this. Or at least, from what I’ve seen, he is. I probably shouldn’t keep bringing up the fact that I kept using my allotted hour every day to see what he was up to.” 

Derek looked at Theo in amusement. “I have a feeling he’d call you a creeper, just as much as he calls me one.” He murmured. “But he’d probably be a bit more flattered than weirded out to know that you spent your hour focused on him.”

“All the same, I don’t want to bring it up.” Theo shook his head. “Not unless I absolutely have to.” He glanced toward the door when he heard whirring from the elevator being in use, and went back over to the fridge to get more bottles of water out. 

Erica and Scott both stumbled when the doors opened, and Erica smacked viciously at Scott, snarling until he let her out first. She patted herself down, scowling, and then made her way to Derek’s side, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” She asked quietly. “Did he do anything to you?”

“If you count wrecking me emotionally, then yes.” Derek murmured in reply, smiling faintly at her. 

“Yeah, but that’s just like, a day that ends in Y.” Stiles snorted, giving Derek a slightly apologetic look a moment later. “For all of us, I mean. Not just you.” 

Derek shrugged a shoulder, sighing and folding his hands tightly around the water bottle Theo had given him. He waited until the rest of the pack had slowly shuffled in before he cleared his throat. “There’s… a possibility that my little sister survived the fire.” He swallowed reflexively, ignoring the way Erica’s hand tightened on his shoulder. “But only a possibility. Deucalion said something that made me very suspicious.”

Stiles waited, but he realized after a moment of quiet that Derek wasn’t going to be more forthcoming. He wasn’t sure why, after the last few months, that sort of thing still surprised him. “So we’ll find him and question him. I can get more mountain ash from Deaton, and I _might_ have saved some kanima venom, at some point. For reasons.” 

“Right…” Scott drawled, squinting at Stiles. “Reasons. Okay, well… I mean, if it helps us figure out if Deucalion is lying about Derek’s sister - and that’s a really mean thing to lie about, by the way - then I approve.”

Theo glanced from Scott to Stiles, taking a deep breath and trying to remind himself that the two of them had been best friends for more than a decade, and that Stiles didn’t need Theo to intervene on his behalf. No matter how much he wanted to. “He’s blind.” He remarked. “So he relies on his other senses and sneaking up on him wouldn’t be easy, even if he wasn’t a werewolf. We could put the venom on a doorknob, though. Or the handle of his cane. Getting close enough is a problem.” 

“It’s a thought.” Derek agreed. “Someone would have to mask their scent, or run into him in public by ‘accident.’ He already knows my scent, so it couldn’t be me.” He didn’t glance at Stiles. “And it should be someone he wouldn’t expect to be a threat.”

“Someone human.” Stiles remarked. “That’s what you’re not saying, right? Because a shifter would be cause for concern. If some ordinary person showed up and, I don’t know, got lost trying to deliver a pizza, that wouldn’t be much of a threat.” 

“It doesn’t have to be pizza.” Isaac shook his head. “It could be anything. Or nothing, too. You don’t have to interact with him for too long, you could just say you got the wrong apartment.” 

“In any case, the interaction - or lack thereof - will need to be quick. A believable ‘accident.’” Allison hummed, leaning back against the couch as she studied Derek. 

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, I can handle that.” He looked around. “This is the point in time when someone says, ‘this is a stupid plan,’ but Lydia isn’t even here right now. I guess we’re skipping that part?” 

“This is a stupid plan.” Scott said bluntly, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at Derek. He glanced at Stiles. “Doing this puts you on an alpha’s radar. A nasty alpha. You won’t be safe from this Deucalion dude after this, Stiles.”

“Okay, but I'm not safe from him now, either.” Stiles shrugged. “He’s already come here and threatened Derek, and he might have...” He turned toward Derek. “What’s your sister’s name?” 

“Cora.” Derek said quietly, ignoring Scott and focusing on Stiles. “Her name’s Cora.”

“Cora.” Stiles repeated, redirecting his attention to Scott. “Deucalion might have Cora, and he’ll know if anyone able to shift shows up near him. I’m the only one here who can’t.” He glanced at Allison. “And who also doesn’t smell like wolfsbane and gun oil. No offense.” He snorted, looking at Scott once more. “Unless you want to call Lydia and make her do it? I think she’ll have a few things to say about that.” 

“We’re wasting time.” Theo muttered. “We should do this right now. I know that the timing might be suspicious, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? If we do this now and he thinks it’s a little too convenient at how quickly it happened, he’ll probably also think that he’s paranoid. Our only other option is for all of us to storm in, not knowing what the hell we’re walking into. That’s what I’d call a stupid plan. This, though? This is going to work.” 

“I do need to go home and get everything.” Stiles reminded Theo, laughing a little. “Unless you know how to teleport?” 

Theo rolled his eyes. “No, I got kicked out before they could teach me that.” 

Stiles blinked. “So, they really know how to teleport? Like, that’s an actual thing?” 

Derek gazed at Stiles, bemused. “I’ll have to show you the library one day.” He murmured, shaking his head and standing up slowly.


	9. Quite Aware of What They're Goin' Through

_August 28, 2011_

Theo sat on the stairs in the loft, keeping himself back as he stayed silent and observed the rest of the pack. Though he was comfortable enough to be part of it, he liked being able to view things as an outsider, once in awhile. Not to mention the fact that he was pretty sure he would be in the way of the Hale family reunion happening on the couch, a few feet away from him. Plans had been made and scents had been tracked, and there were two new brunettes who had Theo questioning what the school year would be like. It was starting in less than twenty-four hours and he was unsettled for so many reasons. He glanced down at his hands, breathing in and out slowly and willing his claws to retract. 

“It’s going to be like this at school, too.” Stiles said quietly, leaning on the railing and looking down at Theo. “Well, maybe not for you. But that’s how it is for me. People tend to forget I exist, unless they’re yelling at me for something. I tried to warn you against enrolling.” He snorted. “But nobody listens to me.” 

“I do listen to you.” Theo protested. If there was anyone in the pack whose opinion meant something to Theo, it was Stiles. He had never kept that a secret, though he didn’t go around talking about it, openly. That sort of behavior was better left to the guy he admired, anyway. “I haven’t had normal since I was _nine_. I just want -” 

“I haven’t had normal since I was nine, either.” Stiles interjected. “My mom died and I spent afternoons at the police station, getting yelled at for going through crime scene photos instead of doing my worksheets. None of us here are normal. None of us fit what society deems normal. It’s almost easier to avoid trying to fit in. That’s kind of why I gave up on it, years ago.” 

“That’s a fucking lie.” Isaac smirked, shaking his head as he approached the stairs. “You would sell both of your testicles to be normal, and you shouldn’t pretend otherwise.” He glanced toward the couch to ensure he wasn’t missing anything, then looked back at the other teens near him. 

“If it brought my mom back, then yeah.” Stiles shrugged. “But that’s not how things work. Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the exact same thing. And take off the scarf. Unless you have something you’re trying to hide, you don’t need that. It’s too hot outside.” 

“What if he does have something to hide?” Allison asked, raising her eyebrows as she wandered over to them. She glanced at Stiles, her lips twitching in amusement. “I mean, maybe there’s an enormous goiter on his neck, and he doesn’t want anyone to know.”

“So, a Nurse Gollum sort of situation?” Stiles grinned. “That makes a lot of sense. I mean, his dad did keep him locked in a freezer all the time. It’s probably really gross. Hard to look at.” He glanced at Isaac out of the corner of his eye as he spoke. “I wouldn’t even mention it, but he brings it up constantly. ‘Give me the last slice of pizza, my dad abused me. It’s my turn to play Super Smash Bros, even though I already had a turn, because I got locked in a freezer.’ That kind of thing.” 

Theo fought back a laugh as he sat back, watching Isaac to see what the werewolf would do. He wondered if he was going to have to intervene, to make sure Stiles didn’t get slashed into pieces for his blatant cruelty, no matter how hollow it actually was. He looked up at Allison. “You’ve been around them longer than I have, haven’t you? Is it really always like this, or is it just because it’s summer?” 

Allison tilted her head to the side, watching Stiles and Isaac intently before shrugging. “A little of both? More of one than the other. Isaac thinks it’s funny to taunt Stiles with Scott. Stiles is not amused, and proceeds to roast Isaac. It’s worse because it’s summer, because we’re all over here, all the time, and there aren’t really any adults around to stop them if they go for the other’s throat.”

“Hopefully, tomorrow, they’ll be too busy to do anything but their assignments.” Lydia added, smiling as she joined the others. She eyed Isaac’s scarf. “You should at least find something that matches what you have on.” She commented. “We do have time right now, if you want to go shopping with me.” 

Theo smirked, glancing up at Stiles with the intent to say something disparaging, since he figured that was Stiles’ usual method of response to anything anyone else said. Instead, he frowned at the intense way that his crush was staring at Lydia. “So, not everything changes.” He muttered. 

Allison glanced at Theo, and then followed his gaze toward Stiles, before following Stiles’ gaze toward Lydia. She smiled faintly and looked back at Theo. “No. Not everything does.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting out of here for awhile.” Isaac remarked, nodding to Lydia. He followed her out of the loft, only stopping long enough for her to grab her purse on the way. 

Stiles wandered back toward the couch, a curious expression on his face as he asked the Hales a few questions. 

Theo shook his head, scoffing at himself before he looked up at Allison again. “So, how much do you regret canceling plans to go to Paris, for this?” He waved a hand toward the couch. 

“Surprisingly?” Allison glanced over her shoulder toward the couch where Derek was surrounded by his younger sister, Peter, and Peter’s surprise daughter. “Not much.” She cleared her throat. “I was a kid when it happened, and I never knew about it until we moved here. Monsters were real, and the biggest one murdered an entire family and was _proud_ of it. So… bumping back Paris wasn’t a big deal, if I could help Derek get some of his family back. Besides, it’s not like I’ll never go again.” She smiled crookedly.

Theo smiled back easily. “It would be nice to see any other town, other than this one.” He nodded. “Though I didn’t mind being able to see this one, since I was only allowed to be above-ground for an hour a day, for a long time. I got a sunburn a few weeks ago. It hurt like hell for a few minutes. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t heal fast.” 

Allison laughed. “Suffered through it like a regular old human being.” She teased. “Aloe vera exists for that. I get the menthol kind. It feels like it helps more.”

Theo smirked and leaned toward Allison. “I wondered what that scent was.” He laughed. “I mean, I knew what it was, just not why. It’s not exactly the best, if you’re trying for some kind of perfume to attract someone. Unless you’re trying to attract a doctor, I guess.” 

Allison snorted, leaning a little toward him, too. “I don’t really care what anyone thinks of the smell.” She confessed, shrugging. “Sunburns hurt, aloe and menthol definitely help, and that’s all that matters to me. Besides, it doesn’t happen too often. I just happened to fall asleep in the sun.”

Theo tilted his head, frowning at her. “Uh, don’t get pissed,” he began, “but you’re a hunter, living in a town full of werewolves. Even without the risk of skin cancer, is it really safe for you to do something like that? Don’t you have somebody watching your back?” 

Allison huffed out a laugh. “An overprotective hunter for a father. Security cameras everywhere.” She studied him. “Considering what I’ve been through, and the things I’ve done, I don’t really have many people left that would willingly watch my back for me. I burned some bridges, and it’s going to take me awhile to build them back up. But for now, I’ve got Big Brother watching my every move, and I’d like to think I’m pretty capable, too.”

“I wasn’t saying that you’re not.” Theo protested, frowning. “I’m not very good yet at social interactions. I wasn’t really allowed. But I’m trying. Anyway, what did you do?” 

Allison reached out and put a hand lightly over his, shaking her head. “I wasn’t trying to imply that.” She began, referring to the beginning of his sentence. “That you were saying that. I was just explaining myself. And considering what the Doctors were like with you, I think you’re doing pretty well with social interactions.” She cleared her throat, hesitating, and then looked toward the Hales over her shoulder. “My mom killed herself a few months ago. And… my grandfather made me believe that it was Derek who killed her. The truth was that my mom tried to murder Scott, and Derek went after them to save him. But my mom attacked Derek and in all the confusion, he bit her to get her off of him.” The wan smile she gave him was anything but happy. “Apparently, hunters - Argents - have a secondary code. If they’re ever in danger of being turned into a werewolf, they kill themselves. My mom was turning.” She cleared her throat. “And… I kind of went off the deep end as a result. I hunted Erica and Boyd down. Shot them both with arrows. I tried to kill Isaac.” She frowned. “Stabbed him with daggers. I was ready to kill Derek, too, until my - until Gerard decided he’d rather use me as leverage to force Scott to do what he wanted.”

“And we’re over it.” Boyd called out to her, sitting up as he turned toward Allison. He smiled tensely as other conversations stopped. “You were exploited. You think I’ve never been exploited? Hell, two days ago, some racist ass old white woman at the grocery store was refusing to ring me up at the register, and when I started to lose my temper and asked her if she was serious, she said that it was just further proof that ‘my kind’ couldn’t be trusted. I wanted to tell her that my kind is a werewolf and I could have thrown her through the window, but I know that’s not a good idea.” 

Erica sat down beside him, turning to face Allison. “Your gramps is a piece of shit.” She told the brunette bluntly. “Any kind of sick-in-the-head old bastard that thinks it’s okay to torture and manipulate teenagers needs to have his skull kicked in. You and me, we’re not best friends, hell, we’re barely acquaintances, but I get it, okay? You were fucked up, but it wasn’t your fault. I could’ve done without being shot, but I figure I at least earned it.” She smirked wryly. “It wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was doing, messing with you about Scott.”

“Messing with me about what now?” Scott asked faintly, looking confused.

Allison waved a hand dismissively at her ex, making a face at him. “Nothing, mind your own business.” She exhaled slowly and turned to look at Erica and Boyd. “Still. I could have controlled my actions. I could’ve… done a lot of things differently. Hell, I could have asked questions and maybe gotten some answers other than the ones Gerard gave me. I’m so sorry. I really am, I’m probably going to be apologizing to you for the rest of my life.”

“That’s a lot of years.” Stiles commented, smiling over at Erica and Boyd. “I’d make her grovel a little more, personally. Get free lunch out of it. Coffee every morning.” 

“Yeah, you would.” Boyd agreed. “But you’re a complete asshole.” 

Stiles shrugged, smiling. “Do you see me arguing?” 

Allison’s lips twitched, and she threw a small pillow at him.

Erica shrugged, looking over at Allison with a grin. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind someone funding my java chip frappuccino addiction.”

“So get a job.” Stiles remarked. “At a coffee shop, even. You’re bound to get a discount on drinks, if you can’t get them for free. Or steal them when nobody’s looking.” 

“You just have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Theo snorted. “You can’t stand the idea of anyone figuring out something on their own.” 

Stiles stared at Theo, then glanced pointedly at Scott. 

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Theo nodded, laughing. 

Scott looked between them in confusion. “Okay, seriously, what?” He asked, looking bewildered.

Erica let out a loud snort, falling back against the couch and tossing her legs into Boyd’s lap. She pointed at Allison. “You dated him. Just remember that.”

“She didn’t know any better.” Boyd grinned. He had respect for Scott, but he had also spent the majority of his summer around him, and he didn’t see him as some kind of de facto leader, anymore. 

Scott threw his hands up in frustration. “Dude!” He blurted, sounding insulted.

Derek had been silent up until then, content in being settled in with his family. Now he glanced at Boyd and shrugged a shoulder. “You’re very inspirational, Scott. I’d imagine. To some people.”

“He inspires me to never become an alpha again, if my choice in betas leaves anything to be desired.” Peter piped up, raising a hand.

“I feel like I should resent that.” Stiles rested his hands on his knees as he looked at Peter. “Just because I said no doesn’t mean I wasn’t a choice.” 

“The fact remains that you still said no.” Peter pouted. “And I was so excited to have asked you, too.”

“What?” Stiles rolled his eyes. “You attacked Lydia and forced me to come with you. You really think I would have said yes, after that?” 

Peter scowled. “You could have at least considered it.”

“Yeah, because you telling me what to do and forcing me to comply sounds like the _best_ plan.” Stiles muttered. “Mind rape. That’s a life goal.” 

“I would have done no such thing.” Peter grumbled. “I attacked Scott, half out of my mind when I bit him. I _asked_ you, in full possession of my faculties. There is an enormous difference.”

Derek smacked Peter’s arm. “Stop trying to make yourself look better.” He snapped.

Stiles grinned, but shook his head at Peter. “You’re seriously telling me that if you wanted me to do something and I didn’t want to, that you would have been fine with that? You?” 

Peter opened his mouth, and then halted when he looked sideways at his niece and daughter. He cleared his throat. “Of course. I’d be perfectly fine with that. Who wants a subordinate beta, anyway? I certainly don’t.”

Cora guffawed. “That’s the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“Where I was, out in the woods, if you didn’t let something know that you were in charge, they would just try to eat you.” Malia added. “I ate a lot of them before they even got the chance.” 

Stiles grimaced. “That’s... interesting.” He said carefully. 

Peter looked oddly proud and - even more odd - a bit misty-eyed. “A Hale through and through.” He murmured, gazing at Malia with a smile.

Stiles glanced over at Derek, shaking his head a little. It was strange to think that even three months earlier, he thought that Derek was the most socially-awkward person he had ever met. “You’re kind of like, the Marilyn.” He mused. 

Derek squinted at him, and then abruptly scowled. 

Cora grinned. “I mean, you’re not wrong. He was the quiet one out of all of us.” She reached out to pet a hand down Derek’s cheek, but it was with fondness instead of mockery.

“It was a compliment, you emotionally-constipated dumbass.” Stiles grinned. “I’m actively trying to be nice to you.” 

“Color me shocked.” Derek replied dryly.

Cora punched him in the shoulder. “Say thank you to the cute boy with the moles.” She snapped.

Derek slowly turned his head to glower at Cora, baring his teeth before looking back at Stiles. The fangs didn’t retract as he slowly said, “ _Thank you, Stiles._ ”

Stiles gave Cora a confused smile, nodding as he looked back at Derek. “You’re welcome.” 

“Holy crap.” Theo muttered, sighing. He glanced up at Allison. “Now I know why Scott and Stiles are friends.” 

Allison grinned faintly at him. “Pray tell?” She laughed.

“They’re both oblivious.” Theo shook his head. “But it’s weird? Scott can tell when someone likes him, but he’s dumb about everything else. Stiles is the opposite? Or at least, from what I’ve seen. I feel like I just got blindsided by this.” 

Allison patted his shoulder gently, smiling. “It’s okay. It’ll get better.” She paused. “Or worse. It depends, really.”

“That’s not the least bit comforting.” Theo laughed. “But at least it’s honest. I like honest.” 

Allison leaned her head in her hand, smiling at him. “I can be very honest.” She assured him.

* * *

_August 29, 2011_

Theo carried a tray of various caffeinated beverages into the school building, breathing in and locating Erica, Boyd and Isaac at their lockers. He grabbed one of the drinks and handed it to the female beta. “Java chip frappuccino.” He commented, nodding to her. 

“I’d be worried if I didn’t know you were as focused on Stiles as Scott is on Allison.” Boyd smiled. “You know this is a courting thing, right? Bringing someone gifts.” 

“Maybe if we lived in Victorian London.” Isaac scoffed. “But that’s something to keep in mind, for later on. Does anyone know what Cora’s favorite drink is, by chance?” 

“Blood of her enemies.” Stiles quipped, smirking as he stopped to open his own locker. “Just like all of the other Hales.” 

“I think Derek’s got a sweeter tooth than that.” Erica quipped, smirking at Stiles. “Something just as hot, but not as coppery.” She looked at Theo and saluted him with the frappuccino, smiling. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Theo replied awkwardly. He had known the words since he was old enough to talk, but they felt foreign as he said them. He relaxed when he glanced at Stiles and saw a pleased expression on the other teen’s face. A few seconds later, he tensed again, wondering if Stiles had heard Boyd’s remark about Theo’s interest. 

“Do I get a drink?” Scott asked Theo curiously as he followed Stiles up, his locker banging open before he dropped his backpack on the ground.

“Actually, no.” Theo said calmly. “I got one for myself, one for Erica, one for Boyd and one for Isaac. There are only four holders in the carrier, and even so, you’re not part of my pack. You keep saying that over and over again.” 

“Oh.” Scott muttered. “Well… Stiles doesn’t get a drink, either, huh?” He pulled his books out of his bag and chucked them into the locker before pulling out the ones he needed. 

“I didn’t know what kind...” Theo paused, frowning. “What the fuck, Scott?” He scowled. “Do you even know what you just did?” 

Isaac was standing up straight, frowning as he looked from Theo to Scott, but he didn’t dare speak. The risk of someone screaming at him was too great for that. 

Scott straightened, looking at Theo with a deep frown. “No?” He muttered. “Does it matter?”

“He doesn’t know because he doesn’t listen. He’s never let Derek train him.” Boyd shook his head, but he took pity on the other boy and explained. “You just said Stiles isn’t in your pack. You said that he’s in Derek’s.” 

“That is _not_ what I said,” Scott scoffed at them. “You didn’t get me a drink because I’m not in your pack, and you didn’t get Stiles a drink, so _he_ isn’t in your pack either. He’s definitely in _my_ pack.”

“That’s not how you phrased it.” Theo protested. “Words have intent, whether you like that or not. You have to be careful how you say things.” He looked at Stiles, who seemed confused and wary. “You know that if you just said something to Derek, you’d be more than welcome. You’re practically pack anyway, it’s just not an official thing.” 

“He doesn’t need Derek!” Scott snapped, standing up. “And he already _has_ a pack! I don’t care what you thought you heard in what I said, but I’m telling you, you didn’t hear it right. Stiles is in my pack, and that’s final.”

“So I don’t get a vote?” Stiles snorted. “Not that I disagree with you, but... you’re not the boss of me.” He smiled crookedly, glancing around at the others before he sighed. “Scott, they know more about this than we do. If they’re saying you disowned me, then you did. So we just need to figure out how to undo that.” 

Scott breathed in and out rapidly, starting to look panicked. “But I didn’t disown you!” He protested. “Or - at least, I didn’t mean to.” His shoulders slumped. “How can we fix it?”

Theo smiled to himself. He knew that it was just as simple as Scott welcoming Stiles into his pack, and he didn’t want to see Stiles suffer. But Stiles was human and wouldn’t be hurt by a feeling of not belonging somewhere. Scott deserved to panic for the next few hours. “Derek will know. Or Peter will.” 

Scott stiffened automatically, then scowled before finally looking resigned. He wanted Stiles with him more than he wanted to avoid the Hales. “Alright. Okay.” He murmured, folding his arms over his chest.

Boyd grinned at Erica, putting an arm around her and leading her away from everyone, even as he laughed. This school year was going to be a lot more interesting, with Theo around. 

Erica shook her head, snuggling in close to Boyd’s side and smirking. “It’s really hard to believe that he can be so dumb.” She said, keeping her voice lowered.

“Yeah, it’s disappointing.” Boyd murmured. “I can’t believe I saw him as a role model, a few months ago. Now that I know him, I’m a little bit embarrassed.” 

“I mean, it’s not that he doesn’t have good qualities.” Erica admitted, tangling her fingers with Boyd’s. “He’s, like… nice. So nice that it’s sickening. And he’s brave, and really moral about stuff, which I guess is okay. And, I don’t know, there are probably worse people to see as a role model. But I don’t think he gets that the world isn’t black and white.”

Boyd sat down and took a sip of his coffee as other people he knew started coming into the English classroom. Over summer vacation, they had all done their best to make sure that their schedules matched up, and he was pretty sure that Cora was going to follow their lead while she was in the office, enrolling for the year. Malia had no interest in coming to school, but he thought that Peter and Derek might try to convince her that it would be good for her. 

Erica dropped down in front of him - she knew herself well, and knew that if she seated herself next to Boyd, she wouldn’t spend a single second of the class actually listening to the teacher - and leaned back in her seat, setting her book on the edge of the desk and her frappuccino on the other corner. She looked around the classroom to see who else had arrived before focusing on the doorway.

Lydia walked in, clutching her books to her chest as she took a seat in the third row. She rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly, when Scott, Allison and Stiles took up the other three seats in that row. She pressed her lips together and ducked her head a little, breathing in the scent of leather from Brandon’s jacket, even though she hadn’t worn it to school. She knew she wasn’t going to see him again, but the idea of being single was starting to irritate her. At least she had school to keep her preoccupied. 

Scott poked Stiles in the shoulder fondly as he set his things on his desk, leaning toward him to murmur, “What do you think we should expect this year? I spent all summer reading every book I could get my hands on in between training.”

“New teacher.” Stiles commented. “I don’t know what this one is going to be like. I just hope she’s not the English equivalent of Harris.” He frowned. “Does Deaton know anything about pack bonds?” 

Scott furrowed his brows. “I don’t see why he wouldn’t. He used to be the Hales’ emissary before they… you know. If anyone would know about pack bonds, it’d probably be him.”

“Huh.” Stiles shook his head. “Well, I don’t get why he’s not their emissary now, but maybe Peter being the alpha negated his obligation? Still, Peter’s not alpha anymore, and Derek could use some help.” 

Scott shrugged his shoulders. “Deaton never explained it to me, and I never asked.” He murmured, and then lowered his voice a bit more. “But it probably has something to do with Derek thinking that Deaton was the Alpha and, I don’t know, locking him in the trunk of a car.”

Stiles grimaced. “Okay, he’s made some bad decisions.” He agreed. “But everybody has, and he was in a bad situation and scared out of his mind. That really shouldn’t be held against him. It’s not like Deaton tried to call him during an emergency and he didn’t answer because he was preoccupied by sex.” 

Scott’s face promptly went red. “I’ve never - that wasn’t…” He sputtered.

“That’s not what I heard.” Lydia remarked, smirking. 

“No one asked you.” Stiles blinked, startled by his reaction. “I mean, you’re welcome to offer your opinion, but this conversation was between me and Scott.” 

Scott slumped down into his seat, looking embarrassed and annoyed, his arms folded over his chest. 

Erica looked back at Boyd, her lips twitching in amusement and her eyebrows shooting up. “Holy hell,” She muttered to him. “Talk about drama.”

Boyd grinned back at Erica. “It’s going to be an interesting year.” He nodded. Just as he leaned forward, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he retrieved it to read the text message he had been sent. All around him, other students were doing the same thing. 

“The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth, flowed somber under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.” Jennifer Blake recited the quote she had sent to her students as she walked into the classroom, smiling. “This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class.” 

“Spoiler alert would’ve been nice.” Stiles muttered. He frowned, looking around the room before he raised his hand. 

“Yes?” The teacher pointed to him. “I’ll learn your names eventually.” 

“Stiles.” Stiles remarked. “You do know that our cell phone numbers are private, right? Like, sure, they’re all there in the files, but that’s for an emergency sort of situation or a school closing kind of thing. Not for some teacher to send out a message. And you probably want to get your phone number changed as soon as school’s out for the day, too? I mean, now that we all have it.” 

“Hall monitor?” Jennifer asked dryly, frowning at Stiles. 

“Son of the Sheriff.” Stiles corrected. “And about as well-versed in laws as he is. A lot of us have cop relatives, too. There are at least a dozen students whose parents are probably going to threaten the school with a lawsuit or criminal charges. Just a heads-up.” 

There was a wave of something like satisfaction that rolled through at least half the class, some of whom leaned back in their seats and smirked at the new teacher. 

Erica stabbed at her phone viciously, glaring at the teacher as she texted back, not sparing a single look at her keypad. ‘Lose my number.’

Allison crossed one leg over the other as she eyed the woman at the front of the class, raising her eyebrows. “But bravo for a very confusing, yet dramatic entrance.” She nodded.

“I believe you owe each of us a quarter.” Lydia added. “While most of us have unlimited texting, not everyone does, and you just cost some of us money. It would be unfair to assume that certain students are more likely to deserve repayment.” She already didn’t like the teacher, and she wasn’t afraid to make her opinion known. “So you’re going to have to give money to all of us.” 

“Except Erica.” Stiles smiled fondly at the blonde, as he spoke. “She sent you a message in response, so she cost you the same amount, on a technicality.” 

“Dammit.” Erica muttered, scowling. “I could’ve waited.”

Scott huffed out a laugh at her reply, folding his arms over the table and dropping his chin to rest on them. The class had just become unexpectedly entertaining, and he wanted to see what else could happen before the teacher finally lost it. 

“I really don’t want to become the teacher who gives out detention to her entire class on the first day of school.” Jennifer frowned. “But if I have to, I will.” 

“Let me get this straight.” Lydia stared at the teacher. “You violated our privacy, engaged in fraternization that could get you fired, and now you’re threatening us with punishment for expressing our dissatisfaction with your less-than-legal methods?” She glanced at Stiles, who nodded back at her and smiled grimly, before she stood up. “I’ll be making a phone call to the district attorney while Stiles calls his father, I suppose. I’m sure that they’d both be interested in hearing about this.” 

There was dead silence in the classroom as everyone waited to see what the teacher would do, going up against arguably the two people in school who had the most power and sway in Beacon Hills. Out of the corner of her eye, Allison saw Greenberg’s head bouncing between Lydia, Stiles and the teacher and back again like he was watching a three-way tennis match.

Jennifer stared back at Stiles and Lydia. “There’s no need for that.” She said finally, opening her purse. “I was going to use these quarters to do my laundry, but I guess I can always go get more. Honestly, don’t start acting like I’m Snape or Umbridge.” 

“Holy shit, you are gods.” Erica muttered under her breath, looking like she was seconds away from bowing down.

Stiles snorted, shaking his head as Lydia sat back down. “Nah, we’re just not tolerating bullsh- crap.” He lowered his voice. “I’m still telling my dad, because that seriously shouldn’t have happened.” 

“If your dad ends up needing to interview anybody, you can count me in.” Allison told him seriously.

“Thanks.” Stiles laughed softly. “He’s not going to believe me unless someone else says something, anyway.” He got up to get his quarter from their teacher. When he got back to his seat, he glanced down, doing a double take at a bandage on Lydia’s ankle. “What happened to you?” 

“Prada bit me.” Lydia muttered. 

“Your dog?” Stiles blurted. 

“No, my designer handbag.” Lydia rolled her eyes. “Yes, my dog.” 

Isaac sat up in his seat, leaning forward to talk to them. “Scott and I were at the clinic last night and the animals were behaving strangely.” 

“Because you’re werewolves.” Stiles smiled crookedly. 

“No, this was different.” Isaac protested. 

“Okay, so animals are being weird.” Stiles mused. “Like they know something is coming? Or that it’s already here. We already know about... certain people.” He said quietly. “But we dealt with them. We got Cora and Malia.” 

“Last time the animals were acting this weird was when Peter was… uh, wrong.” Scott murmured, looking at Stiles. “Remember? I told you that after we got separated, the night I was bitten, I nearly got crushed underfoot by a stampede of deer?”

“And my dad shot that mountain lion that just strolled right into the school parking lot.” Allison added, looking at the others worriedly, and then turned toward Stiles. “If… if having a disturbed… um, thing around is a big enough threat to make the animals around town go a little nuts, what would be a bigger threat than that?”

“An alpha pack.” Lydia remarked. “Do we even know for certain that they’re gone?” 

“If they were the problem, animals would have been acting up all summer.” Theo spoke up for the first time since he sat down in class. “Who or whatever’s causing this, they’re more recent. Like they moved in over the weekend, maybe?” 

“Or it could just be coincidental.” Lydia protested. “A dog acting up and animals in cages being unsettled aren’t exactly proof of-” She turned around in her seat as something thumped against the classroom window. 

Erica followed her gaze, frowning deeply when she didn’t see anything. “What was…”

Allison shifted in her seat, straightening up. She squinted as she looked out the windows, a confused expression on her face. “Does anyone else see that?” She asked, staring at what looked like a black cloud in the distance.

Theo was out of his seat within seconds, an arm around Allison’s waist as he dragged her backward, toward the opposite wall of the classroom. He wasn’t sure why he felt so certain that something dangerous was about to happen, but he figured that whatever affected animals in Beacon Hills was getting to him, too. 

There was another loud thud against the window, followed by another, and then several more in quick succession. With each impact, the students inside the room jumped up and looked startled, but it wasn’t until the glass began to crack that some of the others copied Theo and began backing away.

Allison clutched at Theo tightly, staring at the windows with wide eyes. “Lydia?” She called out. “Stiles? Uh, guys, I think - I think you might want to get down?” She hated that she sounded so meek, but this wasn’t something she’d ever prepared herself to deal with.

“Yeah!” Stiles called out, moving to his knees beside his desk. He moved to cover Lydia, to protect her from the flock of ravens that were breaking through the windows. 

“Are you okay?” Theo asked Allison, grimacing as other students started screaming. 

Allison squeezed his arm tightly, gritting her teeth in an effort to stave off how panicked she was feeling. “Oh, fine, you know. Just slightly terrified by kamikaze birds, that’s all.” 

Theo was going to respond, but a bird hit the wall beside Allison, so he yanked his jacket off and used it to shield both of them from any subsequent attack by the crazed ravens. And then, just as quickly as it started, it was over. 

There was complete and utter quiet for several beats as everyone tried to understand that everything had stopped. Scott eventually crawled out from under his desk and stood up with a grim expression on his face as he looked around the room, spying the bird corpses and blood all over. He looked back at Stiles and Lydia worriedly. “I don’t think this is coincidental.” He mumbled.

Stiles snorted, shaking his head. “Really? What was your first clue?” 

“Maybe it was the feathers flying.” Erica muttered, emerging out from under Boyd. The moment Theo had flung himself at Allison, Erica had grabbed Boyd and rolled them right under another desk, following her packmate’s instincts. “Or a murder of crows bashing themselves into a damn window over and over and over, goddammit, Scott.”

Stiles looked around the classroom as he called his dad. “Hey, you should probably know that there was a situation down here and we’re going to need EMTs. We’re all okay, but kind of scratched up. There was this whole thing with some birds.” 

“With - birds?” John sounded bewildered. “Alright, yeah, we’re coming. I’m coming, kiddo. I’ll be there soon.”

A few minutes later, the room was filled with parents and other authority figures. Theo backed off to let Allison talk to her dad, deciding that being anywhere near a hunter wasn’t a good idea for him. He knew that Allison fell into that category, but he reasoned that she was different, since she was friends with most of the shifters he knew. He was a little surprised by his instinctive need to protect her, glancing over at Stiles worriedly when he realized that the other boy might have gotten injured. His eyes widened at the sight of blood along Stiles’ hairline, and he was across the room in seconds, gripping the human’s shoulders. “You’re hurt.” 

“I didn’t even notice.” Stiles remarked, shaking his head. 

“Don’t lie to me.” Theo snapped. “I know you’re in pain.” 

“You’re hurt?” John asked, quickly making his way over to Stiles’ side. He gently nudged Theo away and grasped his son gently by each shoulder, looking him over worriedly. His eyes lingered at the blood on his forehead, his lips pursing together tightly. “How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Headache? Confused at all?”

“No, not exactly?” Stiles shook his head. “Although the teacher is definitely perplexing. I guess I had it in my head that they knew what ethics were, and she must have slept through that class.” 

John frowned. “Explain.” He requested.

Stiles held his phone up, showing his dad the text that Ms. Blake had sent everyone. “Lydia and I both told her that it was a really big error in judgment to let a bunch of teenagers have her phone number, and Lydia pointed out that text messages cost money, whether they’re being sent or received, so she had to give everyone a quarter.” He smiled wryly. “Except Erica, who texted back. I’m not even sure what she said, but I’m hoping nobody tries to suspend her or give her detention. We were already threatened with that, by the way.” 

“I see.” John didn’t look pleased as he glanced toward the teacher. He noted that the woman looked shaken, but not as scared as the students clearly had been. He frowned and glanced back at Stiles. “What do you want to do about that?” He asked. “I’m assuming that you had originally planned on saying something to me. Did she say or do something to you to make you stop?”

“I don’t know. I mean, she did give everyone money back for the cost of the texts, even though I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have unlimited texting.” Stiles shrugged. “You might want to talk to the principal, though? I feel like if I said something, they’d ignore me or try to sweep it aside, you know? They’ll listen to you. Lydia threatened to call the D.A.” He lowered his voice. “Even though Jackson’s dad is in London now and we don’t even know who replaced him.” 

“Nothing’s been said to me yet.” John admitted, sighing. “I assume whoever it ends up being will give me just as hard a time as David did, though.” He squeezed Stiles’ shoulder gently, some of the worry easing off of his face as he gazed at his son. “In the meantime, I’ll definitely talk to your principal. And while I do that, you clean yourself up, okay?”

Stiles nodded. “I guess we’re going home after that? Or at least, I am?” 

“I know I’d prefer it if you did, but it’s up to you.” John replied, furrowing his brows. “Do you think you’re okay to make it through the rest of the day, or do you want to take a pass?”

“Um...” Stiles looked around at his friends, not sure what to do. He had a feeling that Erica would want to ditch, no matter what the occasion was, while Lydia would rather go to class. He was willing to let someone else decide for him, just this once. 

Erica glanced up at Stiles, and then looked at Boyd thoughtfully. “Should we rescue him, do you think?” She asked, smiling faintly.

“I think we’ll let him deal with it himself.” Boyd shrugged. “I don’t think he really needs our help with this one.” 

Erica snorted. “Okay. You wanna peace out?”

Boyd waved a hand toward the doorway. “I think Derek’s going to be here in about five seconds to boss us around.” He smirked, turning to watch the door expectantly. 

It was actually closer to a minute, but Derek still burst into the room, glowering until he spotted his betas. Striding toward them quickly, he grabbed Boyd and Erica both, placing his large, warm hands on the backs of their necks. “Did you sense anything suspicious?” He asked quietly, and then nodded toward the dead birds on the ground. “Before this actually happened, I mean.”

Boyd shook his head. “Nah, we were mostly watching the tennis match between Stiles, Lydia and the teacher.” He smiled. “Theo knew, though.” 

Erica nodded. “Almost like he had a second sense or something. Allison said something about a black cloud, and a second later, Theo was tackling her to the ground right before the birds started making like bugs on a windshield.”

Derek looked concerned, glancing toward Theo. “Huh.” He murmured. “But you’re all okay, otherwise, right? No injuries?”

“Nothing anyone would see in another ten minutes.” Boyd agreed quietly, nodding. “Stiles probably got the worst of it. Out of all of us, I mean.” 

“What?” Derek whipped his head around to look at Boyd. “What happened to him?”

“He got hit by broken glass and probably a crazed bird or two.” Theo answered for Boyd and Erica. “He says he’s fine, but I know that’s a lie.” 

“If he goes anywhere, follow him.” Derek told Theo. “Keep an eye on him, take care of him, call the sheriff or Scott’s mother if you absolutely need to.”

Theo stared back at Derek, grimacing. “I was planning on it.” He said tensely. 

Boyd nudged Erica and grinned at her. 

Erica’s lips twitched, though she fought hard not to let out a laugh.

Derek frowned a little at Theo. “Well… good.” He muttered. His eyes moved toward Boyd and Erica. “Are you two up for a little sleuthing?” He asked. “Feel like snooping around town and trying to figure out if anything like this happened anywhere else?”

“Yeah, we can do that.” Boyd agreed. “But you’re going to have to sign us out at the office.” He had explained everything to his mom and grandmother, earlier in the year. They were kind of annoyed at first, but Derek was one of his emergency contacts now. 

“I can do that.” Derek nodded. “Just be careful. Call me if you find anything, it doesn’t matter how insignificant it seems.”

“And in the meantime, you can go keep Stiles company.” Boyd suggested to Derek, his lips twitching as Theo looked like he was going to explode. “His dad offered to let him go home, and he couldn’t decide if he should or not.” 

“I’m leaving with Allison.” Lydia called out. “We’re just getting a few things from our lockers, first.” 

Scott waved at the girls, and then looked at Stiles and shrugged. “We could just go, too.” He said. “You’ve got permission from your dad. And we really should get your head cleaned up.”

“Yeah.” Stiles agreed. “Uh, pizza at my house?” He looked around. “I’ll order a few different kinds.” 

“Ooh, yeah, I’m for that.” Scott blurted, grinning.

Allison smiled over at Stiles just before she reached the door. “We’ll be there.” She told him. Glancing at Theo, she mouthed a ‘thank you.’


	10. I'll Follow You Into the Dark

_Saturday, October 5, 2013_

Stiles walked into the police station, not realizing her error in judgment until she realized she wasn’t the recognizable son that her father had helped create and raise. She cleared her throat as she stopped where she was, sending her dad a text. ‘So, I'm back in town and there’s some stuff we should discuss.’ 

‘What kind of things?’ John texted back. ‘Also, welcome back! I missed you, kiddo. Where are you now?’

‘About thirty feet in front of you.’ Stiles replied. She tucked her phone back into the purse she had bought herself, after realizing that the jeans she wanted didn’t have enough pocket space. She was certain that women everywhere were being conspired against by the fashion industry. 

John lifted his head up and looked around the bullpen in confusion, only stopping when he noticed a young, dark-haired girl staring at him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the specific placement of the moles on her face, and the color of her eyes, and then blinked. “Stiles?” He blurted, his voice low.

Stiles nodded, approaching her dad. “I’m fine, it wasn’t a curse. More like a blessing. I don’t want to get into all of that, though. Unless I have to. First of all, Seattle just had a zombie outbreak, so you’re going to want to watch out for that. And keep people away from energy drinks by Max Rager. They’re tainted, I swear. Um, the other thing is that we’re planning on leaving the Jeep and Theo’s truck here, and I was wondering if I could use the driveway for that? We’re heading back out tomorrow, if not tonight. I’ve missed you. I’d hug you, but people might lose their shit. It can wait until you’re off your shift and at home, yeah?” 

John smiled softly at the girl - his daughter - and shrugged. “I honestly don’t care what anyone says, but yes, it can wait. And no, I don’t mind if you use the driveway.” He furrowed his brows. “Although we might want to hide the Jeep in the garage, if we don’t want Scott coming around every day asking for you.” He paused, his brain taking in the rest of Stiles’ words. “Zombie outbreak? Like, a genuine zombie outbreak. Zombies are real… and they’re because of an energy drink?”

“Yeah.” Stiles sighed. “You know how they tell you that the mall is the worst place to be in the event of one of those? I found that out, firsthand. It’s not just bullshit speculation. I’ll go talk to Scott, even though I don’t want to. Maybe it’ll make him leave me alone.” She snorted. “I know that’s not likely.” 

“Very much not likely.” John agreed, shaking his head. “Alright, well… my shift is over at eleven. What are you planning to do in the meantime, other than talk to Scott? Have you found a different car to take?”

“Not yet.” Stiles shook her head. “I know an SUV makes more sense. I don’t know of anyone who has one. I mean, maybe Chris didn’t sell his?” She shrugged. “Otherwise, we’re getting a van and I’m not going anywhere until we paint it to look like the Mystery Machine.” 

John started laughing. “Is anyone else on board with that plan, or do you have all the decision-making power here?”

“I’m trying to share.” Stiles smiled. “But the fact is, they’re letting me have all of the ideas. Or at least, about seventy-five percent of them.” She eyed the bullpen, then looked back at her dad. “I’m going to be nice and order you a pizza, before you get home. Besides, I’m going to be stress-eating after I talk to Scott, anyway. I’ll see you around eleven, then?” 

“Absolutely.” John murmured. He resisted the urge to pull her into a hug - she was his kid, male, female, or otherwise, damn it - and just nodded instead. “I’ll see you at home, kiddo.”

Stiles nodded back and left, calling Scott reluctantly as she walked down the street, toward his house. 

“Stiles!” Scott blurted as soon as he answered the phone. “What’s up? What are you doing right now?”

“I’m on my way to your house.” Stiles murmured. She felt annoyed with herself that one of her initial reactions had been joy, since Scott had answered almost immediately - a skill he hadn’t seemed to possess when she needed his help, years earlier. “I’m not staying long. Maybe a night or two.” 

“Oh.” Scott sounded disappointed. “Well, that’s okay! Do you want to hang out? I mean - I mean, you’re coming over to my place, yeah, but… do you want to do something?”

“I actually just thought we could talk.” Stiles murmured. “What kind of something... no. I don’t know?” She frowned down at her hands. Most of her fingernails were painted dark blue, but the ring finger on her right hand was smudged, and her right pinky finger was devoid of color, since she and Allison had needed to get up and run from the nail salon in the mall, earlier that day. “Everything is different now. It has been progressing this way since we were sixteen.” 

“It has?” Scott asked, sounding confused. “I mean - if this is about - we can talk, I didn’t mean that we couldn’t talk, but like… can’t we play video games or something, too?”

“Sweetheart, that’s not even-” Stiles blinked, frowning as she realized she had resorted to Lydia’s typical go-to ‘not quite an insult’ phrase in dealing with Scott. “Uh, god. I guess? I have to be home by ten-thirty. I’m ordering pizza for my dad.” 

“Okay…” Scott said slowly. “Cool. I’ll make sure you get home by then.”

Stiles stopped walking. “I’ll be at your house in a few minutes.” She hung up on him and called Theo. “I need help. Like, lock me up in Eichen House, I’m obviously certifiable.” 

“What? Why?” Theo sounded bewildered. “What the hell happened?”

“I called Scott and he wants me to come over and play video games. He used that sad puppy voice and I feel like if I don’t go over there, I’ll chew my own arm off, out of guilt.” Stiles muttered. “Please rescue me from this insanity.” 

“Do you want me to come with you?” Theo asked, frowning. “I mean - you were planning to see him today anyway, weren’t you? Maybe if I’m there as a buffer, he won’t be an idiot.”

“Fat chance.” Stiles laughed. “But please?” She frowned. “I mean, I know you hate him. You don’t have to come by, if you don’t want to. I’ll see if I can get Allison to do it, instead. You were just... I just called you first, that’s all.” 

Theo was silent for a moment. “I don’t mind. I can be there soon. And we could probably still call Allison. Have her on standby if this turns into a shitstorm.”

“Thank you.” Stiles murmured. She hung up and called Allison. “Hey, I need you to come over to Scott’s house. I know we don’t want to deal with him, but... I’m a moron?” 

“You’re not a moron.” Allison frowned. “Don’t call yourself that. But yeah, I can be there. When? Now?”

“Yes, now.” Stiles murmured. “I’m about a block away and Theo’s coming over too, and I feel kind of stupid that I need an entire team of people to help me deal with Scott. But he just has this way about him that makes it almost impossible for me to be myself. And myself right now is a girl who he’s going to undoubtedly treat like a porcelain doll, and it’s going to piss me off.” 

“If he does, he’ll regret it.” Allison muttered. “I’m coming, Stiles, don’t worry. Give me ten to fifteen minutes, I want to let Derek know what we’re doing and I think he’s gone off to find his old betas.”

“Oh god, tell him to tell Erica to call me!” Stiles blurted. “I miss her. I’ll see you soon.” She hung up and put her phone back into her purse, walking the rest of the way to Scott’s house. She knocked on the door, trying to figure out what to say to her former best friend. 

Scott opened the door slowly, and then smiled tentatively at Stiles. “Wow. Hi.” He cleared his throat. “Um, come in. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” Stiles walked into the house. “We’re seriously just here to get an SUV, because Theo doesn’t like the idea of us having two vehicles for travel, and we’re probably leaving tomorrow or the day after? We’re going to Montana.” 

“That’s cool, that’s cool.” Scott replied, scratching the back of his head. “Where have you been so far?” He asked. “Anywhere really awesome?”

“Seattle and Whidbey Island.” Stiles murmured. “And we went to Astoria, before that.” She wasn’t sure how close Theo was to arriving at Scott’s, so she stayed silent, despite wanting to tell Scott how the past few weeks had gone, for her. She knew Scott wouldn’t understand her burgeoning feelings for Theo, anyway. 

“That’s really… cool.” Scott said again, looking down awkwardly. He shifted for a few moments before he turned and gestured for her to follow him into the living room. “Um… have a seat. Do you - do you want a Mountain Dew, maybe? Or something else?” He shuffled in place, a panicky look slowly appearing on his face the longer he stood without knowing what to say. 

“You haven’t liked me for years.” Stiles blurted, staring at Scott, squinting at him like she was trying to see into his mind. “The second Allison showed up, it was all ‘Stiles who,’ and ignoring my phone calls while I was being stalked by lizard people. Okay, one person, but whatever, Jackson’s a douche.” She shook her head. “And it wasn’t like - I’m not like, declaring some fixation on you. It’s not that. You didn’t replace me with Allison. You replaced me with Isaac. Then Liam. I’ve never been the friend you wanted around, I was just the one who was there. As soon as your circle expanded, you stopped needing me here. And I was lucky, because when you forgot I existed, Theo was there. I’ve tried to be the best friend you needed, since I knew I wasn’t the best friend you wanted. I don’t know if you’ve accepted that about yourself yet. Maybe if I actually quit talking to you, instead of just going a week at a time, you’ll get it? We’re not friends. I wish like hell that we were, though. Sometimes.” 

Scott was staring hard at the floor like a chastised puppy. He was silent for a long beat, long enough that he didn’t notice when the front door opened twice. “When you disappeared,” he said eventually. “When the Riders took you… even though I couldn’t remember who you were, I knew you were missing. And I knew you were important, and I knew that we had to save you. I know that… that that’s one instance of being over myself long enough to know that you existed, and… it probably doesn’t matter much, not after all of the other crap that I pulled… but you’ve always been my best friend. It had nothing to do with needing you or wanting you to be my best friend, it just… you were there. You were. For the longest time, you were the only one that was, and after the pack, after being bitten, you still were. And I did a shitty job of acting like it.” He rubbed a hand over his face and sat down, shoulders slumped. “I get it. Why you don’t want to talk to me. You don’t have to - you don’t have to deal with me anymore. I didn’t do anything else good for you, but I can at least leave you alone when you ask me to. I can back off.”

“Why did you invite me here?” Stiles looked over her shoulder at Theo and Allison, then back at Scott. 

Scott looked confused. “You… called me and said that you were on your way here? I thought… I just thought that if you were here, then maybe we could… hang out. Goof off. Like we used to.”

“Like before you were bitten, you mean.” Allison murmured. “You wanted things to go back to ‘normal.’”

“I’m not that person anymore. Literally and figuratively.” Stiles folded her arms across her chest, glancing down at her chest and smiling faintly as she thought about the bras she had bought, before the manicure disaster. 

“Yeah.” Scott mumbled. “I can see that.” He lifted his eyes to search Stiles’ face, and then looked over her shoulder at Theo and Allison. “You don’t have to stay.” He said after a moment. “I mean… thanks for coming here, anyway, but… I’m not going to make you stick around if you don’t want to be here.”

“God dammit.” Stiles blurted. “If I leave now, I’m going to feel like shit, and how do you always manage to do this?!” 

Scott looked at her blankly, his eyes bewildered. “I don’t know what it is I’m doing? But don’t feel like shit about leaving.”

Stiles grimaced, shaking her head as she turned, walking over to Theo and Allison. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you two had planned. I shouldn’t have asked you to come here. I’m going to Jungle to look for the queens, then I’m going back to the house to order pizza. Come with me or don’t, I’m not going to force anybody to do something they don’t want to do. No guilty feelings, okay? Whatever happens, we’re all still leaving here together.” 

Allison reached out and grabbed Stiles’ hand, squeezing gently. “Yes.” She agreed, nodding. “We are.” She smiled faintly. “I don’t know what Theo had planned, but I was going to swing by and see my dad for a little bit.”

Theo shrugged. “I didn’t have plans.” He smiled faintly. “I could’ve gone with Derek, I guess, but it seemed like he wanted a little privacy with his other betas.”

“Do you want to come with me?” Stiles smiled back at Theo. 

“Yeah, I can do that.” Theo murmured. “And no guilty feelings about shit.” He repeated. 

Stiles grinned, winking at him before she took a selfie and sent it to her older friends, along with the text ‘I’ve had a busy year.’ She walked down the steps of Scott’s porch, tucking her hands into her pockets. After a couple of minutes, she got a series of responses. 

‘I guess!’ Summer replied, along with sending a star emoji. 

‘Girl!’ Charity’s chosen emoji was a pair of lips. 

‘You look amazing.’ Ivana replied, not bothering to use modern hieroglyphics to make her point. 

Stiles laughed and sent another message. ‘I’m going to be at the club in about twenty minutes. See you there?’ She looked around for Theo’s truck. “Did you walk?” She asked, looking over at him. 

“Yeah.” Theo nodded. “Well, jogged. Whatever. I still got here.” His lips twitched. 

Stiles laughed again. “Yeah, and I appreciate that more than I could ever express.” She murmured. She started walking back toward downtown, then glanced down at her outfit when she realized she might not be dressed for the club. She turned around and started walking toward her dad’s house, instead. “I need to change my clothes.” 

“Okay?” Theo had started walking in the direction of the club, but did an about-face and hurried after Stiles once he realized she was turning around. “Well, then I guess we can grab the truck, right?”

“Yeah.” Stiles grinned. “I told them twenty minutes. I’m not going to take very long. I might be a girl, but I’m still new. I don’t need an hour to get ready.” 

“Good,” Theo laughed. He hadn’t seen where Allison had gotten to after they’d left Scott’s, but he knew the brunette would probably have been sulking with Stiles’ words. “How long did you want to stay at Jungle?”

“An hour?” Stiles shrugged. “I just want to be home in time to order pizza and have it arrive before my dad gets home. He’s off work at eleven and it’s like, two minutes to drive from the station.” She unlocked the front door and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She grimaced a little to herself, rummaging through the clothes she had bought for Lydia - really, for the girl she sometimes wished she was, but she hadn’t wanted to admit that to herself at the time - in an effort to find an outfit to wear to the club as quickly as possible. She shook her head at herself as she threw a slutty cheerleader costume back into the closet. “Not today,” she muttered, then found a simple black dress that seemed more appropriate. She got dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of black knee-high boots. She walked back down the stairs, smiling as she got to Theo. “Ready to go?” 

“Yeah.” Theo wanted to believe, in a strange way, that what he was about to say was going to hurt Stiles. Not that he wanted to hurt his friend, but her behavior had been erratic since he got to Seattle, and he didn’t know what to think about it. If it upset her, to his way of thinking, it was a good sign. It meant that she cared. “This probably isn’t the best time.” He began, glancing over at her as he started the truck and pulled away from the curb. “But I need you to just be my friend.” He sped up a little, determined to keep her from getting out of the truck. He hoped not to hit any red lights before they got to the club. “That doesn’t mean that we can’t ever be more, if that becomes something we both want. But you’re kissing me one second and telling me to fuck off the next, and I’ve got enough going on. I can’t figure you out, and it doesn’t help that you can lie to me without blinking. I’m pretty sure you’ve told me a few, uh, untruths, these past couple of weeks. You’re not just doing it to me, either. You went over to Scott’s house of your own volition, and then you yelled at him for inviting you. Maybe being a girl isn’t doing you any favors, but I think you were like this before we went to Whitley Island. You can’t blame it on estrogen.” 

“Whidbey.” Stiles corrected, frowning at her hands on her knees. “You know it’s Whidbey.” 

Theo smirked as he looked over at her. He had deliberately called it by the wrong name to distract her from any resentment she might feel toward him, for being honest. “I just need you to be my best friend.” He repeated. “And my Yoda.” 

“I know.” Stiles nodded. “I know you like Allison. Maybe you’re not ready to date, and neither is she, but I think you’d be stupid to not date each other. I know I’m just a third wheel, and that’s not new for me. I’m not trying to go for sympathy. I'm just stating a fact. It’s not the easiest thing to accept, over and over again. I want to be the kind of person you - well, maybe not you, but someone, okay? Someone should be able to look at me and forget that they ever had a ‘no dating’ rule. I want to be somebody’s somebody. And now that I’m quoting Christina Aguilera songs, I’m going to shut up.” She huffed in irritation, turning her head to look out the window. 

“You could always date Scott.” Theo laughed when Stiles twisted around in her seat and kicked him in the thigh. “Hey, I'm driving!” 

“If this is going to work...” Stiles murmured. “No more sharing a bed with me. And you need to spend more time with Allison and Derek, and less with me. I don’t know how to not be attracted to you.” She ran a hand over her face. “That’s more than I’ve ever admitted to anybody that I’ve been interested in. I kind of hate you for being close enough to me that I’m comfortable saying that.” 

“At least we’re both being honest?” Theo murmured. He parked in the lot outside the club and turned toward her. 

“Yeah.” Stiles smiled crookedly. “Progress.” She got out of the truck and hurried through the parking lot, getting into line. She felt fortunate that her fairy godmother, if Kendra truly was such a being, had covered all the bases. Mallaidh Stilinski’s photo ID was female, so Stiles didn’t have to deal with trying to explain that to the bouncer. 

Theo got into line behind Stiles, shaking his head a little in fond exasperation. He wasn’t a fan of clubs, though he understood the appeal. He had agreed to come with her because he knew he needed to have that talk with her, but he didn’t want to give full details and explain that his interest in her wasn’t at zero. He thought that might be giving her false hope. 

Stiles paid for herself and Theo to get into the club, then walked in and straight toward the back, where she knew she would find Ivana, Summer and Charity. “Hey, girls!” She stepped back to avoid the chair across from Ivana being pushed out, toward her. The first time the blonde had done that to her, Stiles had ended up with a bruised rib cage. “This is Theo. Theo, this is Ivana, Summer and Charity.” She pointed to each one in turn, then grabbed the chair beside the one that Ivana had kicked toward her, pulling it out for Theo to sit in. 

“Honey, you’re a girl, you don’t fall back on masculine customs.” Charity grinned. She nodded to Theo. “Hey, pretty boy. Are you a boyfriend?” 

“No, I’m not.” Theo admitted, sitting down beside Stiles. 

“Boo!” Ivana crumpled a napkin and threw it at Theo, but Stiles leaned over to catch it before it could hit the chimera. 

“Don’t.” Stiles shook her head. “Theo likes someone else, and that’s all that we’re going to say on the subject. I’m single and saving myself for someone in Denver.” 

Theo gave Stiles a questioning look. “Denver? Who do you know out there?” 

“Nobody. Yet.” Stiles shrugged. 

Summer laughed, leaning across the table to fist-bump Stiles. “When are you going to be out there? Why are you leaving us? Didn’t you just get back?” 

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, I did. But Theo and I are leaving with Allison and Derek again, and we’re going to Montana, then Colorado for a while. I’m going to New Orleans, but not during Mardi Gras, before any of you start getting wild ideas.” 

Charity pouted at Stiles. “The first time you walked in here, you were the cutest twink and so unsure of yourself. We just wanted to adopt you.” 

“And now?” Stiles smiled. 

“Now, you’re all girl.” Charity remarked. “If I was twenty years younger...”

“I’d be older than you.” Stiles grinned. 

“That’s a damned lie, but I’ll allow it.” Charity laughed. “If I was younger than you, I’d be following you around like a sad little kitten.” 

Theo laughed softly as he listened to Stiles interact with the older ‘women,’ who he actually recognized as being a deputy, a high school janitor and a grocery store clerk, when they were doing their day jobs. 

“Up.” Summer demanded, when a new song started playing. “You’re going to come dance with us.” She told Stiles, then looked over at Theo. “You too, pretty boy. You didn’t come here to be quiet while us hens keep chattering away, did you?” 

“No, I didn’t.” Theo agreed, grinning as he got up from his seat and held a hand out to Stiles. 

“Doesn’t this violate your rule?” Stiles protested, even as she took Theo’s hand and stood up. 

“It’s a dance.” Theo shrugged as he walked through the crowd, following behind Charity. “If you want to pretend it’s Prom, that’s your problem.” He turned toward her, resting his hands on her waist and pulling her close. “Not that either of us even went to that.” 

“I should pretend it’s Prom.” Stiles blurted. “I missed out on that experience.” 

“You’ve seen what it’s like in every movie and tv show you’ve ever watched, though?” Theo pointed out. “It’s a bunch of people dancing like idiots and then some girl gets pregnant afterward, if she’s not giving birth in the bathroom.” 

Stiles wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I kind of prefer reality, in that regard.” She smiled a moment later, then burst out laughing as the song changed to Somebody’s Somebody. “Oh my god. This song is haunting me.” 

Theo laughed with her, blinking in surprise when Charity tugged Stiles’ hand, whirling her away from him. 

“I’ll give her back!” Charity called out, beaming as she looped her hands around Stiles’ neck. “Be a doll and tell Kenny at the bar that we want a pitcher of margaritas. He won’t card you. He knows it’s for us.” 

Stiles giggled as Theo walked away. “You’re being a little mean to him.” She told Charity. 

“Well, that’s my right.” Charity gave up on the falsetto voice she adopted while she was in drag, determined to be serious with Stiles. “He’s a little bitch if he can’t see what you’re worth.” 

Stiles blushed. “Oh my god. Don’t.” She laughed, mortified. “He doesn’t have to like me. I’ll find someone, someday. Everybody has somebody, right?” She pointed up, toward the speakers. 

“If you’re lucky, you’ll have a dozen.” Charity teased, then gave Stiles a serious look. “I know I make jokes with you, but I meant it, before. If I was younger, I wouldn’t let you go too easily. Maybe I’m crossing a line, but I'm just trying to tell you that you deserve better than to pine away after so many people who don’t see your value. After awhile, if it’s a pattern, it’s not on them anymore, it’s all you. I’m speaking from firsthand experience. Don’t give your heart to somebody who doesn’t want it, okay?” 

Stiles got choked up, but she nodded. “Okay.” She whispered. “I won’t.” 

Theo eyed Stiles warily as he approached her and Charity. “The pitcher’s on the table and your friends are waiting for you.” He told the deputy. He put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “One more dance, first? I mean, it’s Prom, after all.” He smiled. 

Charity hesitated, waiting to see what Stiles wanted her to do. When the brunette nodded, Charity smiled tightly and walked away. “She’s got the biggest breakable heart I’ve ever seen anyone have.” She commented, sitting back down between Summer and Ivana. “I’m going to castrate that boy if he hurts her, and hang his wang from my rearview mirror.” 

“Classy.” Summer rolled her eyes, laughing. “She’s an adult now, let her make her own mistakes.” 

“Did she say something cruel?” Theo asked Stiles. “You look upset. Do we need to leave?” 

“Dance first.” Stiles muttered. “And no, she didn’t. She said something really sweet, actually.” She rested her hands on Theo’s shoulders. “I’m going to do you a favor.” She tilted her head back and looked up at him. “When we get back to my dad’s house, you’re going to get a large Hawaiian pizza and take it over to Allison’s. Maybe you two aren’t ready, but that’s going to help you both get there. Just trust me. Okay?” 

“I trust you.” Theo smiled to reassure her. “What about you, though?” 

“I like Hawaiian pizza, too.” Stiles snorted, deflecting the question. “I’ll probably just talk to my dad and go to bed, after that. You can crash on my couch if you can’t stay at Ally’s.” 

“Wow. Dismissed.” Theo commented. “Just like that?” 

“I can’t get past this if you’re around me all the time. I told you that.” Stiles hesitated. “Maybe I shouldn’t go with you. I could stay here.” 

“And what?” Theo demanded. “You’d let yourself be Scott’s easily-overlooked best friend for another ten years? All because I said I don’t want to be with you right now, or anyone else? So it’s an ultimatum, then.” He grimaced. “Either I date you, or I lose you.” 

“That’s not what I said.” Stiles shook her head. “I don’t think it’s fair to expect me to just ignore how I feel.” 

“You don’t even know how you feel!” Theo snapped. “You like me, you don’t like me, you’re sending me to Allison’s house with pizza and telling me you’d rather be stuck in the hellmouth than go to Paris, or that you’re going to fuck the first guy who blinks in your direction, when we get to Denver. If you even go.” He stepped back. “Why don’t you call Scott and have him give you a ride home?” He scoffed, walking away, toward the exit. 

Stiles practically snarled when she realized that the club was choosing that night to only playing Christina Aguilera songs, and Reflection had to come on right at that moment. “Fuck!” She yelled, wiping at her eyes as people backed away from her. She walked outside, her hands shaking as she got her phone out of her purse. She thought about calling Allison, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. She didn’t want to end up saying something negative about Theo and making Allison hate him. She still thought they could be good together, regardless of her own feelings. She rolled her eyes at herself as she did what Theo told her, calling Scott. She was two rings in when she swore at herself for not calling Derek or Erica, instead. But she couldn’t make herself hang up. She kept her gaze on the ground, not wanting to see Theo’s truck leaving the lot.

Theo hadn’t even made it halfway to his truck when he turned around and ran back. He took the phone out of Stiles’ hand and hung up, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against him. “I’m an asshole.” He murmured. “I’m sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong. I hate Scott. I hate the idea of anyone else touching you, and that’s not fair to you, since I’m still not ready to be with anyone. Not Allison, not you, not Elliza Dushku.” He smiled in relief when Stiles laughed. “I can’t promise that I’ll stop being an asshole. I can promise to try to stop.” 

“I promise to try to stop being an asshole, too.” Stiles put her arms around Theo’s waist, resting her head on his shoulder. “Don’t give me shit about this. I need a minute.” She murmured. A few seconds later, she pulled away. “For the record, I’m not ‘pushing you’ toward Allison. I know I’m a trainwreck, no matter what... height I am. You both deserve a good relationship and I think you could have that, with one another.” 

“Well, if that happens, it happens.” Theo murmured. “But all I want to do right now is go to your house and eat pizza, and watch tv. Can we do that?” 

Stiles smiled, nodding. “Yeah, we can do that.”


	11. Heavy As A Feather When You Hit The Dirt

Theo felt embarrassed that it took him until they were paying the delivery driver to turn to Stiles and say, “You’re not a trainwreck.” 

Stiles gave Theo a confused smile. “Okay?” 

“You called yourself a trainwreck, before we left the club.” Theo explained. “But you’re not. You really need to stop saying this shit about yourself. Allison and Derek hate it as much as I do.” He rested a hand on her shoulder, meeting her gaze. Despite the rest of her ‘packaging’ being different, Stiles’ eyes were exactly the same, and Theo was reminded of the day he met Stiles, in kindergarten. By then, Stiles and Scott had declared themselves brothers, and Theo remembered how jealous he felt, and how angry, that the boy with golden eyes wouldn’t spend time with him exclusively. His fascination with Stiles only grew when he was restricted to an hour a day to interact with, or just observe, the Sheriff’s kid. It would be so easy for Theo to say the right words and take Stiles up to her room, to have her all to himself. But he knew that was dangerous. _Theo_ was dangerous. He was consumed by his attraction, and the Doctors had warned him over and over again that it was his weak point. It was why they had finally told him to get out, that he wasn’t welcome anymore. He wanted to ignore their teachings, but they had relied on logic over emotion, and he had developed an affinity for everything he had learned from them. If he had a chance of keeping himself from giving in to the darkness that called to him, he wasn’t sure being with Stiles was the best thing for him. It didn’t matter how much he wanted her, or him, or whatever form Stiles took next. Allison was a safety net, but that wasn’t a bad thing. He turned away from Stiles, frustrated with himself. Stiles kept trying to push him toward the safe option, and he should listen to her - but he was too tempted to give in. It didn’t help either of them that they were constantly pushing each other away, just to pull back together. All of the yelling he had done at her earlier in the night had been frustration with her and himself, since he was guilty of the same thing she was. “Come sit with me.” He muttered, sitting down on the couch. 

Stiles sat down beside Theo, giving him a curious smile. “What? Do you want to watch Practical Magic again?” She teased. 

“No, I need to talk to you.” Theo put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side, breathing in shakily at how good that felt. “I don’t know what the hell we’re doing. I want you, and I know you want me, but we’re driving ourselves and each other crazy, and everyone else around us, too. I want you to tell me something you don’t like about me. Seriously, just do it.” 

“You make noises when you drive.” Stiles said automatically, snorting. “Little tsk noises. It’s annoying.” 

Theo laughed. “Okay? I’ll work on that.” He shook his head. The point was to find reasons to dislike each other, not things that they needed to change, to be even more compatible. “Or not. You sing under your breath all the time. It’s not even song lyrics, it’s like you have to sing yourself a song to make sure you don’t forget what you’re doing, while you’re doing it.” 

Stiles smiled ruefully. “Too much Sesame Street?” She guessed. “What’s the point of this?” 

“I don’t want to like you.” Theo tightened his grip when Stiles glared and tried to pull away. “Listen to me. Please? You’ve been the only person I wanted around me for so long. Even going to Seattle was about getting near you. But we both go darkside, every time we’re working together. And I’m not sure if you’re pulling me or I’m pulling you, or we’re both jumping in with both feet, at the same time. If Peter hadn’t gotten to Jennifer about five seconds before we did, we would have murdered her ourselves.” He reminded Stiles. “I’m kind of scared of this. The idea of you and me together sounds so fucking good, I want to give in and be with you. Just - whatever that means. Sex or dancing or going for a walk, or watching a stupid movie. But that’s not where it ends. Can you at least agree with me that it’s bad?” 

“I know it is.” Stiles nodded, staring at Theo. “I told Derek and Allison, the second that I knew you were on your way, that I had trouble controlling myself around you. That you would make it too easy for me to slip. You’re addictive.” 

“You’re addictive.” Theo argued, laughing. “That’s why I want Allison. I don’t feel this pull with her, that I have with you. I like her. She’s not you, but I like her. I wish it wasn’t like this. But at the same time, I love that it’s like this. And that’s not healthy.” 

“How the hell are we supposed to keep traveling together, knowing this is a problem?” Stiles looked up at Theo. 

“Well...” Theo shrugged. “You could start sharing a room with Derek, and make up an excuse for why that’s necessary. That’ll give me more time with Allison and I can figure out if she’s the safeguard I think she is. Otherwise, Derek and Allison are going to have to do damage control. And we’re the damage.” 

“Maybe I should just tell them that I’m having trouble.” Stiles mused. “I could spare you from it, say that I’m worried about how I’m slipping. Beg off sharing with you.” She licked her lips, pressing them together in frustration. “Wouldn’t it just be easier if we weren’t traveling together?” 

“That’s too far apart.” Theo protested. 

A knock can’t at the door, then, and Allison’s voice called through. “Hello? Are you guys here?” She asked. “Can I come in?”

Stiles got up from the couch, straightening her skirt before she answered the door. “Hey.” She smiled. “We just got pizza.” 

“Awesome.” Allison grinned, leaning in to give Stiles a quick hug. “Hawaiian, right?” She stepped inside, her lips twitching coyly. “I know some guys that I wanted to invite over. Is that okay?”

“Um, yes?” Stiles tried to think of guys that Allison knew and wouldn’t have mentioned by name. She drew a blank, so she figured they were probably hunter friends of hers. Stiles had done her best to avoid being anywhere near the Argents when she knew hunters would be in town. “And yes, we got Hawaiian for me. My dad’s is the pepperoni pizza.” 

“You’re the best.” Allison grinned at her, pulling out her phone. She tapped out a text quickly, and then looked back up again. “I’m making them bring more pizza. Not for your dad, I figured you just wanted him to have the one, but if they try for the Hawaiian, I might lose my mind and eat their faces. And not in a sexy way.” She shook her head, her eyes darting past Stiles at Theo. “Is everything okay?”

“We had a talk.” Theo glanced at Stiles, who nodded at him. He looked back at Allison. “I know you said you want to wait, but I was wondering if you were interested in going out with me, at some point.” 

Allison blinked rapidly, looking wide-eyed at Theo before her head whipped around to gauge Stiles’ reaction. “I don’t - is that… okay?” She looked worriedly at Stiles. “I don’t want to overstep…”

Stiles grinned, hugging Allison. “Thank you.” She murmured. “I’m okay. I’ve been telling him for awhile now that he should spend more time with you, so you guys can get to know each other.” She pulled away, shrugging one shoulder. “I know it’s going to be awkward for me, at first. But it’s stupid for all three of us to be single and in a sort of holding pattern when you two are interested in each other.” 

Allison’s eyes softened. “I just don’t want to do anything that would hurt you. I care about you a lot, and I know how you feel about him, and I think it would legitimately kill me if I did anything to hurt you.” She fidgeted and glanced at Theo. “But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t interested.”

“I’ll be okay.” Stiles repeated. “If I distance myself a little, it’s not like I’m going to run off to the other side of the world. I’ll still be around.” She grabbed a plate and put two slices of pizza on it, for Allison. 

Allison smiled warmly at Stiles, accepting the plate. “Good. I’d have to chase you down if you did run off. We said Paris together, damn it.” She looked at Theo. “It’s a yes, by the way. If you couldn’t tell.”

Theo grinned. “I figured.” He mouthed ‘thank you’ to Stiles, then moved a little to make more room for Allison to sit by him. He had barely given Stiles any space on the couch, before the hunter arrived. 

Stiles sat down in the chair, taking a bite of her own slice of pizza. “So, who are these guys? You wouldn’t invite some grizzled old men to my house, so I’m guessing they’re new hunters who you’re mentoring or whatever?” 

“No, not at all.” Allison laughed. “Actually, they mentored me a little. And they mentored with my dad. And Dad worked a little with their dad. And their mom, once upon a time. And their grandparents.” She took a bite of pizza and bounced happily in place in her seat next to Theo. “They’re kind of a family dynasty.”

“So like, the Winchesters, but not, since fictional.” Stiles muttered. “Okay, old dudes are coming to my house and my dad’s going to be home soon.” 

“They’re not old.” Allison laughed. “Older, but not old. And… yeah, sure. Like the Winchesters.”

Stiles glanced up at Allison, frowning at the other brunette’s tone of voice. “Okay.” She shrugged. Not sitting near Theo bothered her, but she knew that was because it was still like a fresh wound. “I’m going to change into something less... this.” She muttered, setting her plate aside and going into her room. She put on a pair of jeans and one of the t-shirts she had before Kendra’s intervention, with ‘Let’s settle this like adults’ written on it. She wasn’t sure what kind of guys these were, but given the way that Gerard had treated her, and how Chris had treated her initially, she was hoping to be just off-putting enough to get them to leave early. She brushed her hair and put on some Lilo and Stitch socks, then went downstairs and sat back down in the chair. 

Allison couldn’t help laughing as she gazed fondly at Stiles. “I love those socks.” She said, finishing off her first slice of pizza. 

“Thanks.” Stiles smiled. “Um, if these guys are assholes, I reserve the right to be really shitty and tell them to get out. I’m apologizing to you in advance because you wouldn’t invite some creepy randoms over here, and I know that. But people have a tendency to be shitty around me, so I just return the favor.” 

“I warned them,” Allison assured the other woman. “I mean, they can be assholes, but I wasn’t about to invite them here without your say-so, and without letting them know that you’d have their heads if they acted like dickheads.”

Stiles laughed. “And they’re already on their way? Like they were in town when we got here?” 

“They were actually swinging through Palo Alto about a day or so ago, and then they started heading north - like we did - so yeah, they’re pretty close to here right now, like, in Anderson. They like to keep driving, normally.” Allison murmured. 

“Okay.” Stiles glanced at Theo. “You’re being too quiet. Say something.” 

“Something.” Theo grinned. “I’m eating my pizza, I’m not deliberately avoiding conversation.” 

Stiles rolled her eyes, getting up when there was a knock on the door. She glanced at Allison. “If they were in Anderson about twenty minutes ago, they shouldn’t be here yet. And my dad wouldn’t knock. I really hope that’s not Scott.” She went down the stairs, to the front door, and peered out through the window in the front door. There was an indignant squeak and Stiles stumbled backward, landing on her butt on the stairs. “Allison!” 

Allison let out a soft peal of laughter, standing up and making her way to Stiles’ side. She reached down and pulled the other girl back up before looking at the two men on the other side of the door and waving. “Hi, guys.”

Stiles opened the door and turned to face Allison. “Okay, start explaining.” 

“The fuck?” Theo blurted, peering down at the small crowd around the door. 

Dean snorted. “You didn’t tell them a damned thing, did you?” He asked Allison. 

“I told them as much as I could while still trying to keep it a surprise!” Allison protested. “And technically, Stiles guessed it anyway.”

“How much is ‘as much as you could’?” Sam asked in amusement, looking over the other two. 

Allison glowered at him. “Enough.” She looked at Stiles and sighed. “So these are the assholes. And the tv show and the books are real, and the guys that play them on tv are eerily identical but they are definitely not shifters or skinwalkers, Dean and Sam checked.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “Stiles, Theo, I’d like to introduce you to the very real Dean and Sam Winchester.”

“Hi.” Stiles blurted, staring at the Winchesters in disbelief. 

Theo waved a hand and shrugged, going back to his pizza. 

“Um. Oh my god.” Stiles stepped backward, onto the stairs. “Come on in.” 

Sam beamed at her. “Thanks.” He said, lifting a few large, square boxes over his brother’s head and stepping into the house. “We brought more food. Mostly because Al threatened us.”

“Al.” Stiles repeated, smirking at Allison. She went up the stairs and into the kitchen. “Are either of you thirsty?” 

“Depends on how you mean that.” Dean muttered under his breath. 

Allison narrowed her eyes at Dean, and then at Stiles, but shook her head and followed after Stiles, stopping only to sit back down next to Theo. 

“I’m good with a water,” Sam told Stiles, setting the boxes down on the table. 

“Okay.” Stiles took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm as she got bottles of water out of the fridge for everyone. She held one out to Sam. “I have at least a dozen questions, but I figure it’s probably not cool to fangirl at you. If I was in your situation and someone was playing me on tv, I’d probably never leave my house.” 

Sam huffed out a small laugh and shrugged. “It’s okay. We do our best to keep a low profile, and usually people just think that we’re really good look-alikes or something. You can ask whatever questions you want.” He accepted the water bottle. “I’ll try to answer the best I can.”

“Okay.” Stiles said again, then ran a hand over her face. “What’s the worst thing you ever dealt with?” She glanced over her shoulder at him as she went into the living room, distributing bottles of water. 

“Lots of things.” Sam replied easily, following her back. He had the water bottle she’d given him tucked under his arm, and a plate with three pizza slices in each hand. He gave one to his brother and then sat down. “Like… okay, the skin walkers were bad, but I really think that the Wendigo was worse.”

Allison coughed into her did, exchanging a look with Dean. “Clown.”

Dean laughed. “Yeah, he hates clowns. Some of the stuff on the show is true. I’ve watched it. I don’t like it a whole hell of a lot, but at least they got somebody who looks like me to play me. I woulda literally raised hell if they cast some nerdy ass little bitch.” 

Sam sighed. “You know they were going off the descriptions in the books, they weren’t going to make tv-you nerdy. Or a bitch.”

Dean shrugged. “Anyway. What about you? Worst thing you ever faced?” He smiled at Stiles. 

Stiles bit her lip. “I got possessed.” She said quietly. “That was probably the worst thing. Not having any control over my own body while someone was using it to murder people that mattered to me.” She frowned. “I didn’t mean to turn this into a whole thing.” She gestured vaguely. “But yeah, that was the worst. The easiest one to deal with was when one of our classmates became a were-lizard.” 

“He was a kanima.” Theo laughed. “Not exactly the same thing.” 

“Close enough, though.” Stiles nodded. 

“I don’t think we’ve ever dealt with one of those.” Sam admitted, glancing at Dean. “What’s it look like? Just a giant lizard?”

Dean nodded to Sam in agreement. He hadn’t heard of anything like it. 

“Yeah, pretty much. But it was a temporary shift. He’s a werewolf, now.” Stiles hesitated. “Um, you guys aren’t... you don’t hunt werewolves for real, do you?” 

“Only the actually dangerous ones.” Dean opened his bottle of water and took a drink, then put the cap back on. “We’re heading up to Seattle to deal with that zombie situation, but we might cross paths with you guys again, at some point. We’re not leaving right now or anything, I just thought I’d tell you. I don’t want you thinkin’ we’re stalkers.” 

“I know, you guys stay busy.” Stiles smiled. “Given the fact that we still ran into a crap situation in Seattle, I think it’s safe to assume that it’ll happen again. Having back-up would be great.” 

Theo glanced at Stiles, pressing his lips together to avoid saying something he thought he might regret. He knew she had every right to talk to other guys, but the idea of Dean or Sam Winchester being with Stiles made Theo sick to his stomach and it gave him the strong urge to punch something. Still, that was his usual reaction whenever Stiles got herself - or in earlier instances, himself - into situations that were beyond Theo’s control. He had been ready to murder Scott for the night when Stiles stepped into a puddle of gasoline and took a lit road flare from him. He wasn’t really listening to the conversation as he thought about Stiles’ assertion, a few weeks earlier, that he wouldn’t be able to be with someone who slept with a person on their free-pass list. Theo leaned forward, kicking Stiles’ foot lightly and smirking at her. “Demigods.” 

Stiles blinked, then smiled slowly, ducking her head. She looked back up at him, laughing softly. 

“What’s that about?” Dean looked back and forth, from Theo to Stiles. 

“It’s an inside joke.” Stiles said quickly. “A little too personal to explain.” She smiled easily at the Winchesters. “Maybe I’ll tell you, one day.” 

“No problem.” Dean smiled back. “So, Allison says you’re great at research. Maybe we can call you if we get stuck on something, later? We’ve got Bobby, but he’s gettin’ sick of hearing from us.” 

Sam snorted. “‘Sick of hearing from us.’” He repeated. “He threw a book at my head the last time we saw him and told us to figure it out ‘our damn selves.’”

“Sure!” Stiles blurted, wide-eyed as she looked over at Allison, then handed her phone to Dean. She was embarrassed that she was being so obvious in her fascination with both of the male hunters, but at least nobody was making fun of her for it. She wanted to brush off the compliment and say her ability to research was because of Adderall, but she got the point from Theo and Charity earlier; she needed to stop insisting that she wasn’t worth attention. Years of doing whatever she could to stay level with Scott had caused her to minimize her accomplishments. That was why she related to Lydia so well, since the redhead had done the same thing around Jackson. She glanced over at Allison, a few pieces of conversation snapping into place in her mind, and she waved a hand at the other brunette. “You’re Jo Harvelle! I mean, not really, but yes?!” 

Allison covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she laughed and started to nod. 

Dean burst out laughing as he handed Stiles’ phone over to Sam, to let his brother program his number in. “Yeah, she is.” He spoke before Allison had the chance. “But Victoria threatened the network when they wanted to use the name Argent on the show. They took a lot of liberties, anyway. I mean, I'm only twenty-four.” He smiled sheepishly. “I guess it was beyond them to have a show about a preteen drivin’ a car and huntin’ demons. And all the shit you’ve seen over the years? That’s stretched out from how it usually works for us. We don’t hunt one thing a week for a tv season, for one thing.” He grinned at Stiles. “Most of the time, if we end up in a town, there’s at least two or three things we’ve got to deal with. Sometimes more.” 

Stiles’ lips parted and a dozen different responses came to mind, but she wasn’t sure which one to actually say out loud, and Dean’s smile had her transfixed. She gave up on trying to be clever and decided to share another story, instead. “We had to deal with a pack of psycho werewolves and a darach, a couple of years ago. That was actually what led to, um, my possession.” 

“I set a school on fire when I was fourteen.” Dean blurted, leaning back in his chair. “But it was an old building. One of those historic sites, made entirely out of wood. I thought my face melted off with how fast the building went up.” He laughed. “The teacher had lost her mind and killed all of her students. The place kind of became what was keeping all of the spirits there, so I had to burn it down.” He glanced at his brother. “Sammy was pissed that I didn’t try to save the books, but you know. One hair from a pissed off spirit and we’re getting the shit kicked out of us. It all had to go.” 

“Holy shit.” Stiles made a whimpering noise. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or just as pissed off at you.” She laughed. “I want to know what was in those books!” She cleared her throat, squirming a little in her chair. “I’m sorry. I feel like an idiot. The only thing I can think of to compare this to is when Buffy met Dracula, except she kinda had to kill him and I’m just...” She gestured toward her head, making explosion sounds. 

“We’ve heard plenty about you, too.” Dean admitted, glancing over at Allison before he looked back at Stiles. “So don’t feel like an idiot, because we’re fans of yours.” 

Stiles looked startled. “Seriously?” She looked from Dean to Sam, then over at Allison. “What the hell did you say about me?” 

Allison smiled serenely back at Stiles. “I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” She replied. “And well-deserved. You’re amazing, Stiles. Even if you don’t think you are, I know you are, and everyone deserves to know that about you.”

Sam smiled softly at Stiles. “Ally’s been telling us about all her friends for years, but honestly, you’re the one that gets mentioned the most. We didn’t even hear about Scott as much when she was dating him.”

Allison’s expression changed to embarrassment, and her cheeks went red. “It’s not like I only ever talk about Stiles with you guys! I know for a fact that I’ve talked to you about Derek, and about Theo more recently, and Lydia, and yes, Scott.”

“Sure.” Sam agreed simply, smiling easily at her. 

Stiles gave Allison a baffled smile. “I get mentioned the most?” She repeated. 

“That whole summer, when we were first training her.” Dean nodded. “Uh, ‘Stiles came to check on me after Scott abandoned me at Lydia’s party. I don’t know why Lydia doesn’t pay more attention to Stiles. He’s so devoted to her and she doesn’t even notice. It’s not even like it’s creepy, it’s just that he cares. But he doesn’t ever demand attention from her.’ You know how I remember all of that? She said it at least every two or three days.” He laughed. 

Allison glowered at him, her face flaming red. “I regret inviting you.” She muttered. 

Dean pouted. “Why? You wanted us to meet him. Her. Sorry.” He gave Stiles an embarrassed smile. “We’ve known you as being a ‘him’ for two years.” 

“I knew myself as being a him for eighteen years, so I understand.” Stiles laughed. 

“I think she means we’re embarrassing her,” Sam told Dean in a loud whisper, pointing at Allison. 

Allison muttered under her breath, shaking her head and stuffing her mouth with another slice of pizza. 

Dean shrugged. “I think we’re all gonna be embarrassed by somethin’ or other, at some point. The only way it really gets to you is if you stay focused on it. I said some shit you didn’t like, oh well. Move the hell on. Get a damned helmet.” He smirked. 

“Oh, bite me, Dean.” Allison snorted. “Moving on.”

Sam laughed. “Yes, moving on.” He took a bite of his own pizza, focusing on Stiles as he ate. “So what else have you seen and done? I mean, you literally met a good witch that magicked you into a girl. How do you feel, by the way?” His curiosity was winning out. “I mean, how different does it feel? Or does it feel different at all?”

Stiles looked relieved that someone had asked. “Objectively?” She tilted her head. “I’m a lot more emotional, outwardly. I’ve never been the kind of person who can just ignore how I feel, but these mood swings are messing with me.” She laughed, running a hand over her face. “Other than that, it’s really no different for me. I mean, other than the biological stuff. I’ve always defied stereotypes of all kinds, so being feminine? That wasn’t new. I’ve had more of an interest in female role models than male ones. I think it might have something to do with the fact that my mom died when I was a kid. I had to get my motherly advice from fictional people like Joyce Summers and Morticia Addams.” 

“Well, yeah,” Sam bobbed his head earnestly. “That makes sense. I mean, you wouldn’t really need male role models. Allison said that your dad’s the Sheriff? If you grew up around him all the time, you pretty much had the entire sheriff’s department as role models, right?” He smiled. “I mean, there could be worse female role models than Mrs. Summers and Mrs. Addams. They’re both awesome. Dean and I usually just watched cartoons growing up, you know. Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes. But Kitty Forman was awesome. And Lucy Ricardo.” He looked at Dean. “I think I usually leaned toward the funny moms on tv.” Sam seemed to be aware that he was rambling and stopped, clearing his throat and smiling sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Stiles protested. “If Allison has said anything else about me and left out the fact that I never shut up, she’s done you guys a big disservice.” 

“Yeah.” Theo added. “We were just talking about the fact that she sings songs to herself without even realizing she’s doing it. It’s fucking annoying.” He grinned at Stiles. 

Allison let out a laugh. “I actually think it’s really funny.” She admitted. “It’s… I don’t know what to compare it to. It’s not, like, creepy singing, it’s just cute little comments about what she’s doing, or things she needs to remember to do. Oh, and one time, she was singing one about Scott, in front of Scott. He didn’t even notice, but I had to stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from laughing.”

“Oh yeah.” Stiles laughed. “Because he kept loaner pens on hand for Allison, like he expected her to keep forgetting hers, and he forgot a pencil. We had a test and he was whining like a sad puppy.” 

Allison huffed out a laugh. “The pens were my fault.” She told Dean and Sam. “I forgot a pen on my first day of class, and -“

“He offered you one without you telling him that you needed one, and that’s how you met.” Sam concluded, looking amused. “Yeah, you’ve told us that.”

“Oh.” Allison fidgeted in place. “I guess I did.”

“It’s okay. This is a small enough town that if you’re staying here for a day or two, you’ll meet Scott.” Stiles laughed. “And you’ll understand everything she’s ever said about him. I don’t even need to know what she’s told you. I’m just going to say that none of it was an exaggeration.” 

“He’s a dipshit.” Theo blurted. “He’s not worth meeting. Don’t hang around and meet him. Trust me.” 

Allison glanced at Theo, then hummed a little. “Theo has… very strong feelings about Scott. And he can be kind of… stupid sometimes.” She agreed. “But he can also be really sweet. Which is unfair. When Stiles says Scott was acting like a puppy, it’s not an exaggeration at all. He is basically one enormous puppy. If you don’t want to stick around to meet him, that’s fine, but if you do, and you meet him, and he does something to piss you off, just… keep in mind that sometimes, he legitimately does not realize he’s done anything wrong.”

“Yeah, it’s like that whole thing about being malicious or dumb.” Stiles smiled. “He’s socially-stunted. Smart as hell about animals and he’s going to be an amazing veterinarian, but... well, I hold grudges, and when I’m being chased around a pool by something that can kill me, and he doesn’t answer his phone because he’s thinking with his dick...” 

Allison whipped around and stared at Stiles. “He what? Wait, what? When did this happen?”

“Jackson had me and Derek cornered in the pool, and he had just knocked Erica out and paralyzed her.” Stiles glanced at the Winchesters. “Temporary paralysis, she’s fine now.” She looked back at Allison. “I kept trying to call Scott, to tell him that we were in the pool and that Jackson wasn’t getting into the water after us. I had to hold Derek up because he got paralyzed while he was trying to keep me from getting attacked, too.” She rubbed her upper arms, just thinking about how much that had hurt, afterward. “We were like that for at least two hours. Just when I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore, that’s when Scott showed up. After we both went under, I mean.” 

Allison covered her mouth with her hand. “That’s my fault, too.” She mumbled, shaking her head. “Well… Gerard’s fault. He heard Scott’s leg break on the lacrosse field during that game, and then Scott just popped up like he was fine, and…” she exhaled. “Gerard, uh… insisted that Scott come have dinner with us. He was trying to grill Scott and get him to admit that he was a werewolf, and then we figured, well, we might as well try to find the bestiary since we were there.” She looked horribly guilty. “We were still looking when you called. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, and it’s over.” Stiles murmured. “I’m really only still mad at him because it was a pattern. The second you showed up, again, not blaming you, he forgot I existed. Unless he wanted to talk about you. In graphic detail.” 

Allison blinked, understanding instantly. “Well. I’m going to have to kill him, clearly.”

“Let me do it.” Theo grinned. “Please?” 

“No.” Stiles shook her head. 

Theo pouted at her and sat back, folding his arms across his chest. 

“Murder is only reserved for people who deserve it.” Stiles muttered. “And Scott doesn’t.” 

“Fine. I still hate him.” Theo grumbled. 

“I know.” Stiles gave him an understanding smile. She looked over at Sam. “As for other stuff we’ve dealt with, there really hasn’t been a whole lot. Allison’s aunt and Peter Hale, then Gerard and the kanima, and Matt Daehler. The psycho wolves and the darach, and then me, indirectly. Then Kate Argent again and a bunch of people trying to murder all of my friends. Then Theo’s foster parents were trying to raise some kind of werewolf messiah to start the apocalypse. And then they were on their own because I was gone. Wiped out of existence. Sort of.” 

“That’s ‘not a whole lot’?” Dean demanded. “How did you deal with all of that?” 

“Not well.” Allison admitted. “Not me, anyway. Especially when it involved my family. And then… well, I’m not sure how well everyone did with Stiles gone, because I was in France at the time.” She looked at Theo curiously. “I’m guessing everyone fell apart?”

“Yeah. Getting him back was the only thing I wanted to do.” Theo wondered if constantly referring back to his connection to Stiles was a wise decision. “I barely slept and I got in a fight with Scott at school because I didn’t think he was doing enough.” 

Sam leaned forward. “How did you disappear?” He asked Stiles gently. “What happened exactly?”

“It was senior year.” Stiles murmured. “We were all trying to figure out where we were going to college, and I had this whole plan for how we could live near one another and all attend college out here. Uh, anyway... a sophomore asked us to help her. She said that her sister was missing and nobody else was doing anything. She said that her sister had basically disappeared, and it was like she had never existed. And then we were walking down the hall, and someone had my lacrosse jersey number, but their name was on my shirt. Well, their shirt. But mine? And then I wasn’t on the list of students getting their senior photos taken. I knew that I was going to be taken. Other people were disappearing. It wasn’t something I could prove, but we had so many empty lockers. Classrooms with barely any students. I was going to tell Scott, but I wasn’t sure how to even start that conversation. Every time I’ve tried to warn him, he tells me I’m overreacting, and...” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she clenched her fists. “Okay, sorry. Moment over. I was in my Jeep and I told Theo that I knew something was going to happen to me. I didn’t have a clue where people were going, or why they were being taken. I told him to run, since I knew they were coming. And then I was in the train station and it was like everyone else was in a daze. They were all just sitting there, waiting for a train that was never going to come. It turns out that they did this to a few towns, before ours. They’d just come through and wipe them out. I followed the line, for the speaker system, and found a radio room. What felt like a few hours to me turned out to be a few months. But I didn’t give up.” 

“That’s amazing.” Sam blurted, staring at her with wide eyes. “And, obviously, you got out, you’re here now. You did it all alone? You escaped by yourself and saved the rest of the town?”

Stiles laughed, looking at Allison. “You’ve made them think I’m that awesome?” She shook her head and looked back at Sam. “No. Um, this guy I went to high school with. Greenberg. He got my attention and Peter Hale’s, and told us about the train tunnel and how he had been keeping track of how often the Ghost Riders came through. He thought he could run and make it out, but there was a force field.” She grimaced. “There wasn’t anything left of him. But Peter figured being a werewolf would make him more capable of getting through. He was right. He took my ID with him, to tell people I was still trapped. As much as I had a problem with him before... he pretty much set himself on fire to make sure someone could find me.” 

“Oh my god.” Allison said softly. “I’ve noticed that he’s been different, just from what Derek’s told me. I didn’t even know that he was the reason you made it out, I thought you’d just kept fighting to get through.” She hugged Stiles hard. “I can’t believe this crap keeps happening to you.” She sighed. 

Sam smiled softly. “I’m glad you made it out. Hell and Heaven kind of sucked, but this place, wherever you were… it can’t have been easy.”

“Yeah, you’re not wrong about that.” Stiles laughed. “I got back just in time to attend my final day of senior year. I actually really don’t hate this town. I mean, I grew up here and my dad’s still Sheriff. I had planned on a career in law enforcement, but they needed me here, so I left the program and got an email, telling me not to come back. I’m okay.” She shrugged. “I’m trying to learn to not have a plan.” 

“Hence the whole traveling around the States thing.” Sam nodded in understanding. 

“Hence the random traveling.” Allison corrected. “We have places we’d like to go, but we’re sort of taking the long way around.”

“Right now, all we have in mind is Montana, then Denver and New Orleans.” Stiles smiled. “I want to go to New York next year, to see the Mets play.” 

“And I want to see Broadway.” Allison laughed. She looked at Theo. “What about you? Where have you been wanting to go? Stiles and I meant to make a list for all of us.”

“The New York Public Library.” Theo admitted. “And I know it’s childish, but Disney World. And Salem.” 

“Salem’s not so bad.” Dean mused. “There are places in Texas that are a hell of a lot worse, with witches.” 

“There are lots of places that are worse than Salem.” Sam murmured. He looked at Dean. “Remember that ‘coven’ of women in Massachusetts that were masquerading as a book club?” He looked at Theo. “It wasn’t in Salem.”

Stiles glanced at her watch, then did a double take and frowned, getting up to look out the window. She knew better than to call her dad, since he might be in a dangerous situation that would only be exacerbated by a ringing phone. She started to call the station, then remembered belatedly that she couldn’t ask if her dad was there. She hung up, grimacing. “Damn it.” 

Allison sat up straight and started to ask what was wrong, before she remembered that Stiles’ father was off shift at eleven. She looked up at the clock and saw that it was half-past eleven, then frowned, thinking quickly before looking up at Stiles. “Can you call Parrish?” She asked. 

“Yeah.” Stiles scrolled through her contacts, lifting the phone to her ear as she tapped her nails against the glass at the top of the door. “Hey. Where’s my dad? Did something happen?” 

“Hey.” Parrish replied, sounding hurried. “Yeah, something happened, I’m late for my shift and your dad is going to murder me.”

“Not if I do it first.” Stiles retorted. “Wait. Why the fuck are you late? Were you out in the Preserve?” 

“Of course I was,” Parrish muttered. “The why doesn’t matter, I’m at the station now, your dad will be on his way soon, I promise.”

“Great, thanks for that, but seriously.” Stiles ran her fingers through her hair. “What the hell were you doing out there? Were you at the nemeton?” 

Parrish was silent for a moment. “I don’t want to answer that.” He admitted. 

Stiles took her phone away from her ear and glared at it, then put it back. “I don’t care. There are still people around here that I don’t want to get a call about, you know? I’m in town, let me do something. What the hell’s going on?” 

Parrish sighed. “It’s nothing, really. It just… seems like there was a bit of a power imbalance in town once you left. And - I don’t mean this last time, I mean when you disappeared and then came back before leaving for college. The Nemeton doesn’t like it, and it’s been trying to restore the balance which, you know. Is kind of difficult for it, being a tree and all.”

“I didn’t leave for college.” Stiles corrected, but knew that wasn’t really the point. “Or, well, unless you mean when I got dragged off against my will?” She bit her lip. “What does it want? If it’s because of me, then I need to be the one to take care of it, right?” She looked out the window again, then gave everyone an apologetic smile as she went up the stairs and to her bedroom, rummaging through her closet for the supplies she kept there. 

“No.” Parrish replied firmly. “You do not need to be the one taking care of it, that’s why I’m taking care of it. You got out of Beacon Hills, Stiles, and we aren’t going to let you get dragged back because a tree is feeling codependent.”

“We.” Stiles repeated, frowning. “Who exactly is ‘we’, then? You and who? Scott? Lydia? Malia?” 

“Well, yeah?” Parrish answered, frowning. “Who else?”

“You fu-” Stiles pressed her lips together to cut off the swear word. “God. Okay. Here’s what I’m doing. I’m hanging up this phone, and I’m going to kick the shit out of Scott, and then I’m going to the nemeton. And if you try to stop me, I’m siccing my new friends on you.” She hung up the phone and went back down the hall. “Ally, I hate to have to kick people out, but... I mean, you can come with?” She shrugged. “I have to go.” 

“Where?” Theo stood up, holding a hand out to Allison. “I heard you mention Scott. What did he do now?” 

“Long story short, I’m a screw-up and instead of making me fix things, they decided to handle it on their own, again.” Stiles muttered, putting her hoodie on. It was bigger than she remembered, and it took her a few seconds to figure out why. “Because me yelling at them about this last time wasn’t enough to clue them in, I guess.” 

Allison stood up and sighed, grabbing Theo’s hand. “Stiles, this is the second time they’ve done this. If they don’t learn after this… we can’t keep coming back. I don’t know if Scott thinks he’s doing something good by keeping you out of this, or if it genuinely doesn’t occur to him to call you, but if he does this again, I say he’s welcome to this stupid tree.” She scowled. “And you’re not a screw-up. Scott is. Obviously.”

“Are we welcome to come with you?” Dean asked, indicating himself and Sam. 

Stiles glanced over at them. “Yeah, I’m not going to say no to extra help. Just stay out of sight when we get to Scott’s, because he’ll lose his shit worse than I did.” She snorted, shaking her head as she went out to the Jeep. 

John’s SUV was parked next to the Jeep in the driveway, and he was staring at the large black Impala on the street in confusion. He looked up when he heard the front door open. “Stiles, who’s here? Is something happening?”

“Yeah.” Stiles hugged her dad. “Parrish told me why you were late, since he was late, and I guess Scott ordered him to not say shit to me, but he did anyway. I’m going out to the Preserve. But I’m going to Scott’s house, first. If you get any reports of a domestic disturbance, it’s me. Ignore it.” She waved a hand toward the guys coming out of the house. “That’s Dean and Sam. Don’t ask, we’ll talk later. I swear.” She opened the driver’s side door of the Jeep. “Pizza’s in the kitchen. It’s probably cold by now, but that’s what microwaves are for.” 

John looked utterly bewildered as the others filtered out of the house after Stiles. He squinted in the direction of the aforementioned Dean and Sam, and then shook his head. “Alright? Be safe. Don’t make Scott embarrass himself, he already does that on a daily basis.”

“He’s your surrogate son, he’s your problem. Not mine.” Stiles remarked, smirking and waving as she got into the Jeep. She honked the horn to get her friends’ attention, since she didn’t think it was a good idea for Dean and Sam to take the Impala to Scott’s. She figured that Allison and Theo would be riding together and might want privacy, anyway. 

Sam hurried after Stiles after giving John a smile and a wave as he passed the older man. He climbed into the passenger side of the Jeep, sticking his tongue out at Dean. 

Dean looked from Theo’s truck to Stiles’ Jeep, then got into the back seat of the Jeep. “Okay, so Scott is who, again?” 

“My former best friend.” Stiles sighed, starting the engine. “And the true alpha out here.” She glanced at the Winchesters. “A true alpha gets their power by being some kind of super-leader, instead of killing to get their power or having it pass to them from someone else dying. The theory is that the nemeton dosed him with it, somehow. Apparently, the fucking tree is pissed off at me for not sticking around, and Scott decided not to tell me. He’s got our resident hellhound - that’s a person, by the way - donating blood to keep the town from imploding.” She pulled out of the driveway as she spoke. “Even though it’s supposed to be my influence, and honestly? I’m here. There was no reason for Parrish to go all emo over the damned thing.” She slammed her fist against the steering wheel. “The only reason he did it is that Scott told him to, and not to tell me that things have been haywire since I left. The shit that happened out here when I left for college? That was kinda my fault, for being gone. I’m not staying, though. I’ll find a way to fix this. After I smack the shit out of Scott so hard, his jaw fixes itself.” 

“Harsh.” Sam nodded. “But probably necessary.” He furrowed his brow. “Forgive me for saying this, but does it have to specifically be your blood, or just your bloodline?”

Stiles glanced at Sam. “My dad’s got enough shit going on.” She frowned. “Honestly? The reason it latched onto me in the first place is because I took Scott out to the woods and he got bitten by a werewolf, so the telluric currents were flooded with energy. The darach I told you about? She was tapping into the nemeton’s energy to give herself power, and that involved sacrificing virgins, guardians, that sort of thing. My dad, being who he is, is a guardian of the town. And Chris and Melissa. Scott’s mom. So Ally, Scott and I sacrificed ourselves in their place, to prevent the darach from making us orphans. That’s why I got possessed. That was a side-effect that Scott’s boss decided we didn’t need to be informed of, but honestly? I’d do it all again, just the same as I did it before. Loss of control and all. I mean, I know it would work, but I’ll send a vial of blood back here every so often, if that’s what it takes. It’s not his responsibility. It’s mine.” She grimaced. “I hate blood.” 

“You’ve been a woman for how long, now?” Dean smirked. 

“I know what you’re implying.” Stiles rolled her eyes, then looked curious. “I wonder if that would work. It would be really gross, but at least it doesn’t involve needles.” She smirked back at Dean when he looked disgusted, then parked in front of Scott’s house and got out. She pounded on the front door and yelled for Scott to open it, not caring about the late hour. 

“Some of us are trying to sleep!” Mrs. Thomas yelled from her front porch. 

Stiles turned her head to look at Scott’s neighbor, not saying anything in response. 

The woman huffed and went back into her house, slamming the door shut. 

Scott slowly opened the door, looking warily past the doorway at Stiles. “Hi.” He said flatly, staring at Stiles. “Kinda thought you weren’t planning on coming back.”

“I wasn’t.” Stiles admitted. “But then my dad was late because Parrish was late to work, doing something that you, oh yeah, forgot to tell me was a problem! What the fuck, Scott? Are you just never going to listen to me? Ever? What did I even do to you, to deserve this? You’ll work with Peter, Gerard, Deucalion, Jennifer Blake... but you draw the line at me? You claim you don’t hate me, that you miss me, but you’re not even trying to keep me updated on anything.” She startled as an arm slid around her shoulders, and glanced up to see Dean winking at her before he spoke. 

“Is there a problem here, sweetheart?” Dean asked, glancing at Scott and nodding to him. “Hey. Sorry about interrupting this thrilling conversation, but Sammy and I are kind of eager to work with you, so we want to get going. ‘Sides, I need to ask you something that’s really none of my business, but that’s never stopped me before and it ain’t happening anytime soon.”

Scott exhaled softly, looking at Dean and Stiles with an exhausted, resigned expression on his face. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to answer, but he didn’t think what he had to say would matter much anyway.

Stiles smiled, pointedly ignoring Scott as she leaned against Dean. Scott’s answer didn’t matter anyway, and she was grateful to the hunter for showing up before she did something horrific, like start crying. “I need Scott to lead us out there.” She explained. “What’s your question?”

“Well, you’ve been female for three days now, right?” Dean turned Stiles toward the Jeep, nudging her toward it as he grabbed Scott’s collar with his free hand. 

“Ow, what the hell!” Scott yelped, stumbling along after Dean.

“Right.” Stiles nodded, giving Scott an incredulous look because he hadn’t seemed to recognize Dean at all.

“So, have you been de-virginized yet?” Dean fought back a laugh as Stiles nearly tripped over her shoes. He tightened his grip on her to prevent her from faceplanting. 

“No, I haven’t.” Stiles opened the driver’s side door, moving back as Dean shoved Scott toward the open door. “Are you offering?”

“You’re in the back with me, Chuckles.” Dean informed Scott. He glanced at Stiles. “If my brother doesn’t get there first. When’s this wear off, again?”

“The day after Christmas.” Stiles murmured. 

Scott folded his arms across his chest, looking mutinous and miserable, the glower on his face slowly morphing into a pout. He stared out the window, ignoring the other three in the car. 

Sam looked bewildered. “If I don’t get where first?” He asked his brother. 

“Nowhere.” Dean grinned. “Don’t worry about it, Sam.” He looked over at Scott. “Are we gonna have any more problems on the way to this mystical tree?” 

Scott shot him a dirty look, but didn’t reply, deliberately turning away from the older man to stare out the front windshield of the Jeep. “Just drive.” He said quietly. 

Stiles rolled her eyes, pulling away from the curb and turning around to go toward the Preserve. “You suck at being a nerd.” She commented, frowning over her shoulder at him before she faced forward again. “Look around you, Scott.” 

“I suck at a lot of stuff, Stiles.” Scott replied. “And I know who I’m looking at. I just don’t really care very much.”

“I’m trying not to be offended.” Dean remarked. “What’s your deal, kid? All I’ve heard about you is that you’re a shitty friend and that we’re not allowed to kill you for some of the shit you’ve pulled. You’re lucky I’m willin’ to listen, because near as I can figure, you’re a werewolf with a control problem.” 

“Dean.” Stiles shook her head. “Idiocy, not malice. Remember?” 

“Yeah, okay.” Dean grimaced. “Doesn’t mean I like it.” 

Scott stayed quiet for several long beats before he exhaled. “I don’t have to answer any questions from you.” He said quietly. “I don’t know you. I don’t owe you anything. Everything I owe is to her.” He gestured at Stiles. “And maybe all I want her to acknowledge is that I am a shitty friend and that she’s better off a world away from me, and away from this town.” His eyes flickered toward Dean. “But if you really want to kill me, you can try. You’re not the first, you won’t be the last.”

Stiles slammed on the brake, flinging her seatbelt away from her as soon as she unbuckled it. “That’s it, get out of my Jeep!” She snapped, shoving her door open and sliding down to the ground. “I can’t kick your ass while I drive, and all I want to do right now is punch you in the head.” 

“Then do it, and let me go home.” Scott snapped back, climbing out of the Jeep. “I didn’t want to get dragged in here anyway, but the cro-magnon man took the decision away from me.”

Stiles flipped off a driver who sped past, honking at her and Scott. “Why are you acting like this? I told you less than a month ago that I wanted you to call me when things are happening in this town, when you need my help. Or at least, if you could benefit from it. You know that the balance of power here is messed up without me, and you didn’t even tell me? So you wanna take my choice away from me, but oh no, Dean’s not allowed to make you get in the Jeep, to help me find the nemeton? You never did answer my question, anyway. What the fuck did I even do to you?” 

“Nothing. You didn’t do anything to me.” Scott muttered. “I’m a shitty best friend, you didn’t have to do anything to me, for me to act like this.”

“What...” Stiles shook her head. “That’s fucking stupid. This isn’t some frog and scorpion situation, damn it. Don’t act like it’s in your nature to be like this. You choose to do it. It’s not some biological imperative. You’re not going to die if you call me and tell me that shit is fucked up around here. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I'm like... I’m calling your mom. I’m seriously fucking telling on you, dude. You suck.” 

“I already said that I know this.” Scott muttered. “And tell on me. I legitimately don’t care. Fucking tell my mom on me, Stiles. You’re damn right I chose to act like this, I chose to be a shitty best friend, I chose to ignore you and avoid you, okay? I chose it, because that’s the way I want it, that’s how it needs to be for you to get the fuck out of Beacon Hills, because I’m never leaving, okay? I’m not. I’m stuck here for the rest of my natural freaking life because every time I try to leave, something fucking stupid happens and I have to come back because I’m the Alpha.” He used quotations around the title, a mocking tone in his voice and expression on his face. “You got out. Nothing stopped you from getting out, and you wouldn’t have let anything stop you from leaving, anyway. I know I’m going about it in a shitty way, but I want you safe, okay? I want you safe, and sound, and far away from this freaking shithole as you can get, dammit!”

Stiles dragged her sleeve across her eyes, shaking her head. “I don’t know what more to say to you. You’re not listening to me. You never have. I’m not going to feel sorry for you. You go ahead and push everyone else away, Scott. Act like a martyr. Have fun with that.” She got back into the Jeep, resting her forehead on the steering wheel and taking a few deep breaths. 

Sam pressed a hand gently to her back, frowning deeply out of the window at Scott. “You’re right. He is… really stupid.”

Dean laughed. “You wanna go find this tree, or do you want to just go back home? We’re not goin’ anywhere, we can do this tomorrow, right?” 

“Yeah.” Stiles sat up, smiling hesitantly at Sam. “Thanks. Both of you.” She started the Jeep again, driving back toward her house as she called Allison on speaker. “Hey, we’re not going to the nemeton, tonight. I went to get Scott and he’s being... the worst he’s ever been, pretty much. So I need a few hours to just get over his stupidity.” 

“We’re going to head back to your house, we’re all going to spend the night with your dad because god knows when the next time you’ll get to see him will be, and then we’re leaving tomorrow.” Allison replied calmly. “I’m done with Scott, and I’m done with him hurting you. He can have his tree and his secrets and his superiority, but he damn well is not going to have us, and he damn well won’t have you anymore. Okay, honey?” Her voice gentled. “You’re worth more than a million of him, Stiles. So if we need to see to the tree, we will, but then we’re leaving. I won’t have him hurting you anymore.”

“Thank you.” Stiles murmured. “I’ll call Derek tomorrow morning. No point in updating him right now. It won’t change anything.” She pulled into her dad’s driveway and got out. “Do you want me to make coffee for you?” 

“Yes, please.” Allison requested. “You know my favorite. I’ll see you in a second, okay? Theo and I are right behind you.”

“Yeah.” Stiles motioned to Dean and Sam, then unlocked the front door. “Dad, we’re back!” She went up the stairs to the kitchen, making coffee for Allison and starting a cup for herself before she turned toward the Winchesters. “What kind of coffee do you want?” 

“Black with sugar,” Sam requested. “About three spoons?”

“Yeah, same, but no sugar.” Dean murmured. “Thanks.” He sat down at the table. “So, that was your best friend in school?” He asked Stiles. 

“Yeah. I swear, he wasn’t always like this.” Stiles muttered. 

“It’s probably the power.” Sam murmured, looking sympathetic. “It’s probably gone to his head.”

“More than likely.” John murmured as he stepped into the kitchen. He kissed the top of Stiles’ head before lightly ruffling her hair and sitting down. “Scott was always a good kid, he was just always a little more on the…” he took a deep breath, thinking. “Naive side, I suppose. I still don’t think he realizes that actions have consequences.”

Stiles set cups of coffee down in front of Sam and Dean, then set two more cups down for Allison and Theo before she blew on her coffee and took a sip. She started a cup brewing for her dad, leaning back against the counter as she looked at the Winchesters. 

“We know a guy in Montana.” Dean remarked. “He’s got three houses for rent, all connected with one deck. Tennis court in the back yard, too.” He smiled at Stiles. “I can give him a call and cash in a favor, if you want. That’s where you’re headed tomorrow, isn’t it? Sammy and I can swing by after we deal with Seattle.” His gaze flicked toward John, and he looked back up at Stiles, not hiding the once-over he gave her, once he was pretty sure her dad wasn’t looking in his direction. 

Stiles smiled and set her dad’s coffee cup in front of him. “It would be a lot easier on us if we had somewhere we could stay without having to deal with a lot of people.” She agreed. “Hotels are okay, but screaming drunks at two o’clock in the morning? Not fun. You don’t happen to know anyone in Denver, do you? We were talking about going there, too. Maybe sticking around there for awhile, renting an apartment on a short-term lease.” 

“I’ll make some calls.” Dean glanced at Sam. “Unless you know of a place?” He felt a little guilty that he kept eyeing the woman that he was pretty sure his brother was interested in, but he had meant what he told Stiles. If Sam was going to be too much of a coward to let her know he was interested, Dean wasn’t going to waste any time. Allison’s stories had been the catalyst for both Winchesters to start looking into the events happening in Beacon Hills, but they weren’t the only hunters aware of the town. A month earlier, while they were in Miami, Dean had been filling the Impala’s gas tank when he heard a muttered ‘-eac -ills’ and had stopped what he was doing to pay attention to the people on the other side of the pump. That was how he had learned that an Anuk-ite had turned to stone while making eye contact with Stiles, and he had immediately relayed the information to Sam. It hadn’t even been a question, then. They had to meet Allison’s friend. 

Sam’s eyes were locked on Stiles, a broad smile on his face as he watched her. “I think I could find a place that’d suit you.” He told Stiles, nodding earnestly. He dimly heard the front door open and close behind him, but didn’t acknowledge it. He was aware that Stiles was only currently a girl, and that it would change in another few months, but he didn’t seem to find himself caring very much. The stories that Allison had told them had more or less cemented his interest in Stiles, and he figured it would probably carry over from male to female to male again. 

Stiles grinned at Sam, looking up at Allison and Theo. “Hey.” She gestured to their coffee cups. “I know our goal is to get the hell out of here, but I’m going to figure this out and get Scott back to normal. If that means finding a way to make him human again, instead of a werewolf, then that’s what I’m doing. I can’t just leave him like this. I’m sorry. He’s an asshole and maybe he’s always been an asshole.” She glanced at Theo, smiling faintly. “But people could say the same thing about me, and he didn’t give up on trying to save me when I was possessed. None of you did.” She looked at Allison. “Okay?” 

Allison’s eyes softened, and she nodded. “Okay.” She murmured. “You know I’m not going to leave you to this alone.” She huffed a small laugh. “I’d kick my own ass if I did.”

Stiles smiled. She picked up her cup of coffee again, sipping her drink as she went over the details again. Scott had been ‘worse’ since Stiles went to D.C., and Parrish had started donating blood to the nemeton, to keep a balance. She ran a hand over her face and set her cup aside, then went into her room to start writing on the clear board. 

Theo sat down, picking up his cup of coffee and taking a drink. “She’ll be preoccupied for a while.” He smiled. “We just need to make sure she actually gets some sleep tonight.” 

Allison hummed and plopped down next to him, doing the same. “I’m sure between us all, we can come up with something.” She nodded toward John. “The Sheriff would probably know better than anyone what it’ll take.”

“It changes from time to time.” John murmured, sipping his coffee. “As a matter of fact, you would probably know better than me at this point.” He nodded at Theo and Allison. 

“I don’t really care about saving Scott.” Theo shrugged one shoulder at John. “But I know we’re not leaving without Stiles, and if she wants to be here until Christmas, then I guess we’re here that long.” 

“You’re right about that.” John replied, smirking faintly. “She’ll do anything for the people who matter to her, even if they’ve been obnoxious little jackasses.” He sighed and leaned back. “Which Scott, unfortunately for the rest of us, has been.”

“I’m sure whatever is wrong with him is fixable.” Sam murmured. “And I’m sure that someone as smart as Stiles can figure it out.”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, but we should still be doin’ something to help, since we’re here.” He looked around the kitchen, his lips pursed. 

“Either of you good at cooking or washing or cleaning?” John asked, smiling crookedly. 

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. He knew it was kind of a dork thing to do, but he had always wanted an actual home of his own, and having to do something as simple as washing dishes made him happy, not irritated, like most mundane people. 

Sam smiled at John. “We can take care of it, sir.” 

Allison looked at Theo. “That leaves us to make sure we get Stiles to sleep.”

Theo grabbed his phone from his pocket and set a timer for thirty minutes, then put his phone on the table. “We’ll let her have a little bit of time.”


	12. This is the Rise and the Fall

Stiles rolled out of bed and onto her floor, as soon as her alarm went off. It was seven o’clock in the morning and she needed another cup of coffee before she could really focus, but she had made sure to get five hours of sleep. Anything more than that, and she was going to insist she was just wasting time. She went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, then wandered through the house to make a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Her fingers tapped against the counter as she waited. 

Morning.” Sam greeted, looking up at her as he came in. “How did you sleep?”

Stiles glanced over her shoulder at him, then turned to face Sam. “Pretty well. Did you sleep at all? Do you want a cup of coffee, since I’m making one for myself, anyway?” 

“Please.” Sam smiled, nodding. “And I think I slept okay. I’m used to lumpy motel room beds, and sleeping in the Impala, unless we’re visiting Bobby, and then it’s the floor or the couch.”

Stiles moved her cup off of the coffee tray and put a new cup down, making coffee for Sam. “Where did you sleep last night? The living room?” 

“The den.” Sam bobbed his head. “Your dad pulled some blankets out, set me and Dean up in there on the off chance that we were light sleepers - which we are. He didn’t want to wake us up if you, or him, or anyone else came down the stairs.”

“Oh.” Stiles set Sam’s coffee cup on the table, then sat down to sip her own. “I’m sorry that I just disappeared. I have a board in my room and I was trying to - it didn’t work, so it doesn’t matter. Maybe I’m making the wrong decision. Maybe we should just go.” She ran a hand over her face. “I might go talk to Melissa. Scott’s mom. But only if I haven’t figured this out by noon.” 

“Hey, don’t apologize.” Sam told her firmly. “I think the fact that you holed yourself up in your room so you could figure out how to help your friend is really admirable. I mean, I’m speaking from experience. I get it. If something were wrong with Dean, I’d be right where you’re at - I have been.” He studied her, his eyes soft. “Is there anything I can do to help you figure it out?”

Stiles thought for a minute. “Have you ever dealt with ley lines or telluric currents?” 

“I can’t say that I have.” Sam shook his head. “But I’m a really quick learner.”

Stiles smiled. “I thought so. I feel so weird, talking to the two of you.” She looked embarrassed. “God. No offense. I just mean that I’m so used to... tv Sam and Dean. I don’t want to assume anything about the two of you, just to find out I was wrong.” 

Sam laughed softly. “It’s okay, really. Everyone else does, but… we kinda blame it on Chuck. He wrote the books, and he’s the one that gave the go-ahead when someone decided to turn the books into a tv series. We’re kind of lucky because plenty of people knew us and worked with us before the books and before the show, so they still take us pretty seriously - and honestly, still treat us like we’re wet-behind-the-ear newbies.” He sat up. “Show me the information you’ve got. I’ll do my best to go through all of it, and we’ll narrow down whatever’s going on with your friend.”

Stiles nodded, getting to her feet and motioning for Sam to follow her down the hall, to her room. She turned the board a little, to let him see it. “Right now, what I’ve got is a timeline.” She muttered, eyeing the board like it was to blame for Scott’s behavior. “Two years ago, Scott and I were a couple of nerdy dudes who didn’t have any other friends. I liked it that way, but I know he didn’t. He was always bitching about how Beacon Hills is boring.” She snorted. “If only we knew... anyway, it was the night before our second semester of sophomore year, and my dad got a call from dispatch. There was a body in the woods, and I kind of geeked out about Stand by Me and The Goonies and everything, so I went over to Scott’s and told him that it wasn’t up for debate, we were going to the woods to look for the corpse ourselves. That was the night he was bitten. That’s when it all started to change.” She took another drink from the coffee cup she had only just realized was in her hand, then set the mug on her dresser. “He had asthma, right up until this point. The second he got... better? He realized he didn’t have to be stuck with only me as a friend. He branched out. I was kind of happy for him, don’t get me wrong. And it’s been two years and I’ve got Allison out of the, uh, divorce.” She snorted. “So that’s fine with me.” 

“But it’s kind of not.” Sam pointed out gently. “Because you want him back to how he was, before he started acting like a real asshole.” He pressed a hand to her shoulder. “You want your best friend back, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If it takes figuring out how to make him human again, I’m going to help you get your friend back, Stiles.”

“Thanks.” Stiles murmured. She eyed the timeline again, certain that she could pinpoint the exact second that Scott had become different, if she just kept mapping things out. So far, there were at least two dozen little x marks along the line she had drawn from one end of the board to the other. She relaxed her shoulders, licking her lower lip as her gaze went from one point to the next. 

Sam eyed the timeline as well, furrowing his brow and thinking. “What is the common denominator here?” He asked her eventually. “Between his turning, and when he really started acting out of turn? This latest instance of it, I mean?”

Stiles tilted her head. “When I left.” She tapped a point closer to the right side of the board. “And Lydia and Malia were being weird, too. The idea of them not calling me... it doesn’t make sense. I thought I was being forced out of the pack, but I was Malia’s anchor for awhile, and Lydia and I were tethered. It’s... a longer story than I want to get into, right now. So maybe they’re right and I’m the catalyst. I hate the idea of that being true, but if the power balance shifted...” She frowned. “Hang on.” She grabbed her phone from the spot beside the coffee cup, calling Lydia. She put the call on speaker, so Sam could hear. 

“I’m on my way to a class at MIT.” Lydia answered. “So I really hope this isn’t about a pair of cute shoes. But if it is, you can always text me a picture.” 

“When did Parrish start donating blood to the nemeton?” Stiles demanded. 

“When you were in the train station.” Lydia answered, and Stiles could practically hear her frowning. “Why?” 

“I’ll call you back.” Stiles hung up, tapping the phone against her mouth. “Okay. One more thing I need to check.” She gave Sam an apologetic smile, then went down the hall and knocked on her dad’s bedroom door. 

There was a groan from inside. “Yes?”

“You see why I don’t let you have pizza?” Stiles blurted, opening the door. “You have a freaking cholesterol hangover. Has there been an increase in weird cases, this year?” 

John sighed, then flipped over onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. “Yes. Yeah, there've been a couple. Not a lot, but I noticed more than a few situations that seemed like they were more right up your alley than mine.”

“I figured.” Stiles muttered. “It’s not my fault, it just looked like it was. Sorry for waking you up. I’ll be back later, before we leave. I think we’ll be gone by tomorrow.” 

John sat up, looking slightly disappointed. “No, Stiles, it’s alright.” He murmured. “So, all the things happening around town since you left, Scott’s been blaming on you, but it’s coincidental?”

“I don’t think he meant to blame me?” Stiles shrugged. “But he did say that I got out and he was stuck, and that’s not true. I think Parrish doing the whole bloodletting thing has been poisoning the ley lines. I mean, he’s a hellhound. And it explains why Lydia, Malia and Scott decided not to call me. They were being manipulated. I don’t blame Parrish, but I’m going to tell him not to do that ever again. I think Scott told him to do it in the first place, but it’s an addiction thing?” She exhaled, frowning. “I know how the darkness affected me, after what happened with Julia Baccari. I think Scott was able to ignore it, but it wasn’t that easy for me. And then Parrish came along and kind of fed him more of it, without meaning to. And he just craved more? Getting away from here kept me from getting worse. I don’t want to know what would have happened if I stayed.” She paused. “Or why it’s not really affecting me now.” 

John hummed, turning so that his legs dangled over the side of the bed. He studied Stiles for a moment. “I think the main thing you need to take away from this is that it isn’t affecting you like it’s affecting them - and that leaves you in the position of being able to end it.” He furrowed his brows. “Which… how do you wean someone away from the darkness staining their soul?”

“Cleansing.” Stiles frowned. “I’m going to have a bad day.” She muttered. “And you’re going to be pissed off at me, at some point. At least I let you have pizza?” 

John waved a hand dismissively. “Pizza covers it. I’ll try to stay out of the line of fire. Let me know if I can do anything to help, though.”

“Keep your deputies out of the woods, if you can.” Stiles shook her head. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Uh, but don’t panic if you get a call about me being in the hospital. I promise I’m going to be fine.” 

John couldn’t help the little flicker of worry that crossed his face at her words, but he nodded nonetheless. “Alright. I’ll do my part. You take care of yourself, kiddo.”

“I will.” She went into the room to hug her dad, then left, closing the door behind her. Back in her bedroom, she gave Sam a small smile and erased the board, then downed the rest of her cold coffee. “Can you wake Dean up, while I get Ally and Theo? I know what we have to do.” 

Sam nodded and stood up. “Yeah, I’ll go get him.” He started to walk away, and then hesitated, turning around to look at her. “Uh… so I know this probably isn’t the right time for this and all, but… after everything is settled, would you maybe want to go somewhere? And… do date stuff?” His face twitched in embarrassment. “I haven’t actually been on a date in awhile, so… uh, I’m going to need help remembering what we could do, but… would you want to?”

Stiles opened and closed her mouth, then nodded. “I haven’t ever actually been on a date. No, that’s not true. Sort of? I took Lydia to a school dance, but we only danced once and she was just going with me because Jackson had to take Allison... never mind. The answer is yes, so that’s... yes.” She smiled, gesturing behind her. “I’m gonna go wake... no. I mean, yes to the date, but...” She bit her lip, then moved toward Sam, kissing him. 

Sam grinned widely against her mouth, kissing her back and lifting a hand to cup her jaw. He kissed her softly, gradually growing bolder and slipping one arm around her waist. 

Stiles made an appreciative noise, resting her hands on Sam’s shoulders. She pulled away after a long moment, laughing softly as she lowered one hand and put her head down on his shoulder. “I just want to stand here for another minute.” She muttered. 

Sam was so tall that he couldn’t bury his face in her neck the way he wanted to, but he could rest his head against the top of hers, lightly breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “I’m good for another minute.” He murmured, tugging her closer. 

Stiles’ smile widened and she stayed where she was, her eyes closed. It was when she felt like she might actually fall asleep standing up that she decided she needed to deal with reality, so she reluctantly stepped back with a sigh and looked up at Sam. “I’ll go get coffee started, since that’s going to be the first thing all of them want, probably.” 

Sam huffed out a soft laugh. “Probably.” He stepped back from Stiles, then leaned in and kissed her again because - well, because now he could, honestly. “I’ll go wake up my brother.” He murmured when he finally pulled himself away. 

Stiles smiled to herself as she went into the kitchen to make a few cups of coffee, her actions on autopilot as she thought about Sam, and Scott, and how the rest of the day would probably go. She laughed to herself as she planned, since the Winchesters’ arrival had ended up being fortuitous, and not just because one of them had asked her out. She blinked. “Both.” She reminded herself, then burst out laughing again, shaking her head before she went to wake up Allison and Theo. 

Allison was already in the process of slowly rousing herself, rubbing at her eyes sleepily as she sat up in bed and yawned. She lightly patted at Theo’s chest, but not really hard enough to actually wake him up.

Stiles kicked the door, since she had a coffee cup in each hand. “Hey, I’m coming in.” She called out, then rolled her eyes at herself and set the cups down, opening the door before she picked them up again. “My brain is scrambled. But I know how to fix this. Well, I have a plan A and a plan B, because what the hell else is there to do, in this town?” She put the cups on the dresser, then turned toward Allison. “I’m going to end up being kind of bossy today. Fair warning?” 

Allison’s lips twitched. “I’m supposed to be a matriarch, and I usually take my directions from you, so fair warning, I’m probably not going to give you any issues about it.” She scooted off the bed, making ‘gimme’ fingers at the coffee before scooping it into her hands and taking a sip. “Tell me what we’re doing.”

Theo rubbed his eyes and sat up, the scent of coffee making him get out of bed and pick up his cup, not acknowledging either of the women in the room. 

“Well, plan A is to sacrifice Deaton to the nemeton.” Stiles said bluntly. “Since somebody told Scott to have Parrish dose the nemeton - and the ley lines and telluric currents, and whatever else - with his blood. Hellhound blood. Like he’s trying to open an actual hellmouth. It’s not a funny comparison, anymore. And since Deaton is the only one I know who A, advises Scott in all things hellmouthy, and B, only ever gives half of the information he should, I’m going to say it’s a damned safe bet that he’s responsible. Plan B, though? You go get Melissa, tell her to pick up a big old bag of O negative, and meet us at the nemeton. I’m going to need a transfusion after I bleed out almost all the way.” 

Allison cursed under her breath, shaking her head. “No. Nope. No bleeding out for you. Deaton is the cause of all of this? He’s the one that’s going to fix it.” She muttered under her breath. “Why does Scott keep listening to that lunatic? Wasn’t it bad enough that he told us to sacrifice ourselves to the Nemeton to begin with?”

Stiles grinned. “You called him a lunatic.” She laughed. “Okay, I’m a dork, whatever. It was a good pun. And Scott can’t listen to him anymore when he’s dead.” She clapped her hands together, giving Theo an apologetic smile when he glared at her for the sudden noise. “I figure you’ll be stationed at some point near the nemeton, but not too close.” She told Allison. “And then Dean and Sam can be at other spots, surrounding the tree. Just in case Deaton tries to run. Getting him there won’t be too hard. I know that kanima venom affects him, and I’ve got some in my closet. Don’t judge me.” 

Theo laughed. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring any with you.” 

“My luck, I would have ended up spilling it all over my clothes.” Stiles shrugged. “We probably should tell Parrish about this, but we’re not going to. At least, not right away. Not until it’s done. And then we’re going to need someone to bury the body. Probably right under the tree stump, I’m thinking. So it can go toward, uh, helping nourish the tree. If everything goes the way I really hope it will, we can have this done by two o’clock and be on the road right after dinner.” 

“Where am I, in this?” Theo gave Stiles an expectant smile. 

“With me.” Stiles nodded. “Because I have a feeling he’s not going to hold still and let me stab him. I could use a good set of claws.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I know it’s not the safest idea. I’m really hoping that we don’t go, uh...”

“Bonnie and Clyde?” Theo guessed. 

“I was going to say darkside, but yeah, that works.” Stiles looked over at Allison. “If either of us seem bloodthirsty after today... well, I’ll make sure to store the kanima venom somewhere it won’t spill.” 

Allison raised both eyebrows. “Noted. But you know that we’ve got someone on our side that has absolutely no care in the world about his conscience, and whether I’ll protest about him murdering someone? Not to mention that he also hates Deaton with a passion, and would probably lure him to the Nemeton to kill him with a smile on his face?”

Stiles sighed, shaking her head. “Yeah, I know. Fine, I’ll go talk to him. I know he wouldn’t do it if you asked, and he’d probably demand that Theo pay him back before he did anything else for him. For some damned reason, the fucker likes me. I guess just hang out here and wait? Don’t tell anyone else anything. Not even Derek.” She left the room, putting her shoes on and grabbing a jacket. 

Sam met her in the living room, freezing for a moment as he watched her dress before hurrying for his jacket. “Where are you going? Do we need to come with?”

“You can.” Stiles murmured. “I’m just going to talk to someone about what I need to get done. I’m trying to keep my hands clean.” She bit her lip, but figured maybe he would understand, even though she still wasn’t sure what the difference was between his reality and the tv series and books. “I remember everything that I did, even though I wasn’t the one doing it. And sometimes, I think if I just gave in, I’d be fine with adding more names to the list of people who died because of me. But I don’t want to be that person. I’d do it to save this town, and save Scott. But Allison knows what that would mean for me, so she wants me to sit out and let someone else do it, instead.” 

Sam’s eyes softened, and he reached out to take her hand. “I’d do anything to protect Dean, to protect an innocent, to save the world.” He murmured. “I get it. I wish I’d never had to make the choices I made, but it’s - I can’t regret why I did make them.” He furrowed his brow, thinking. “I think… if Allison knows what that kind of blood on your hands would do to you, and there’s another solution… I say go for it. I wish there’d been someone there for me and Dean that didn’t mind getting their hands dirty for us.” He smiled, sighing. “It’s worth a shot, anyway.”

Stiles smiled back. “Okay, I think it’s only polite to warn you.” She opened the door, not letting go of Sam’s hand as she turned to face him. “Peter can be an ass, most of the time. He doesn’t actually have a big ego, but he likes to pretend.” 

“I spend twenty-four-seven with Dean.” Sam pointed out, smiling at her. 

Stiles laughed. She went out to the driveway and got into the Jeep, waiting to make sure Sam had his seatbelt fastened before she drove toward downtown, where Peter’s apartment building was. 

“So, Peter is… Derek’s uncle, right?” Sam asked her. “The one that went crazy and bit Scott?”

“Yeah, that’s the guy.” Stiles nodded, looking over at Sam. “Kate Argent set the Hale house on fire, and Peter ended up in a coma for about five years, with burn scars. Some of the kids weren’t even werewolves. One was a baby or a toddler. So I don’t care what her motivation was, or how Gerard may or may not have abused her. She shouldn’t have fucking done it.” 

“Jesus.” Sam murmured. “I met Kate, once.” He scowled faintly. “I didn’t like her at all. Something about her always felt off to me, but then… I met her after she burned the Hale house down.”

Stiles nodded. She parked in the lot by the building, trying not to cringe at the expensive cars surrounding her Jeep. She knew she looked out of place; she just hoped that some nosy bitch wouldn’t try to have her towed. She got out, waiting for Sam before she went into the building. 

Sam slid out of the Jeep, then moved quickly to Stiles’ side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “He’s going to be willing to help, right? Because I can be menacing, but I don’t think I’ve got what it takes to menace a werewolf. At least not an adult one.”

Stiles grinned. “He’ll help. You don’t have to even say anything. I’ve got this.” She laughed. “It’s weird, being in charge of things. That’s usually Scott’s job, and he’s got a no-kill policy.” 

Sam blinked. “Uh. He knows that living in the supernatural world usually means kill-or-be-killed, right?”

“Scott’s a different sort of person than any of us.” Stiles smiled, opening the door and pushing the up button on the elevator panel. 

“I’m sure he is.” Sam’s eyebrows raised, and he stepped into the elevator when it arrived, tugging on Stiles’ hand and smiling as he drew her back against him.

Stiles put her arms around Sam’s waist, standing up on her toes to kiss him again. 

Sam grinned and kissed her back, sweeping one hand behind her head and into her hair, stroking lightly. “This is the fanciest elevator I’ve ever kissed anyone in.” He murmured. 

Stiles laughed. “You do a lot of kissing in elevators?” She teased. 

“No!” Sam sputtered, laughing. “But I can say without a doubt that this is the fanciest one that kissing, for me, has ever happened in.”

Stiles grinned. “Well, maybe we’ll have to start looking for even better elevators, just for comparison purposes.” She got out when the doors opened, turning to wait for Sam. 

Sam grinned. “I’m all for that.” He murmured, winding his arm around her middle. “Okay, let’s go recruit the murder wolf.”

Stiles laughed again and knocked on Peter’s apartment door, at the end of the hallway. She figured by now, someone must have told him about her different appearance, but even if nobody had bothered to fill him in, she wasn’t going to worry about it. 

“If I hadn’t smelled you as soon as you hit the parking lot, I would have - oh.” Peter blinked as he opened to door and saw Stiles. He looked her up and down immediately. “You have breasts.” He blurted.

“Yep.” Stiles nodded. “Thanks for the update? I’m not here for a status report. Do you want to kill Deaton? Because if you don’t, Theo and I are going to.” 

Peter took a moment, unable to keep his eyes from lingering on her before his eyes darted back up to her eyes. “I’m sorry, you want me to murder Alan Deaton?” His eyes glinted. “The Druid who was so determined to maintain ‘balance’ that he was nowhere to be found when my family was murdered, and never bothered to try to bring the murderer herself to justice? Yes, yes, I would very much like to kill him.”

“Okay. I don’t know how, but we’re going to get him to the nemeton. It has to happen there.” Stiles explained. “I have kanima venom. Getting close enough to administer it might be a problem.” She tilted her head, thinking, before she looked at Sam. “Do you and Dean have dart guns?” 

Sam tilted his head. “Huh. You know, I think we might.”

“You could always paint some of it on his door handles.” Peter pointed out, and then squinted at Sam. “Who are you again?”

Sam smiled faintly, looking resigned. “Sam Winchester, sir.”

“Ah. Well, aren’t you right out of a myth.” Peter smirked, and then turned back to Stiles. “Use some of the venom to paint anything he would need to directly touch. Use the dart as an extra bit of insurance. I’ll get him to the Nemeton. The only reason I never went after him before was because - annoyingly - He was the only Druid around, and the only one with some answers. I think letting him live an extra few years is payment enough for being my family’s emissary.”

“All he’s done is cause problems.” Stiles nodded. “Come by the clinic in about forty-five minutes. I’m not waiting too long on this.” She counted on her fingers, thinking. “Yeah, I think that’s about it. The back-up plan isn’t necessary to even discuss right now.” 

“Of course, dear.” A wide smile painted Peter’s face, and he gazed fondly at her. “I do have to say, Stiles, you look rather glorious as a girl. That’s not to say you don’t look amazing as a male.”

“Thanks.” Stiles murmured, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, not sure what else to say. “Okay, we’re gonna go.” She blurted. “So... forty-five minutes.” She repeated, stepping backward before she glanced over at Sam. 

Peter rolled his eyes. “Oh, for - Yes, I’ll meet you in forty-five minutes, I’m not going to touch you if you don’t want to be touched by me, yes, I genuinely like you, you’re my favorite out of all the little nitwits Derek surrounded himself with - except for Erica.” He waved a hand at her and turned to shut his door. 

Sam looked down at Stiles, raising his eyebrows. “Right… I see what you meant.” He took Stiles’ hand and tugged her toward the elevator. The faster they got away from the older wolf, the better. 

Stiles snorted as she used her free hand to get her phone from her pocket and call Allison. “He’s going to do it.” She said abruptly. “The kanima venom is in my closet. Top shelf. I’ll see you at the clinic?” 

“I’ll be there.” Allison replied. “Can I bring stabby things?”

“Definitely.” Stiles smiled. “Dart guns, if there are any. I don’t know that we’ll need them. You’re probably going to want to park a block away from his clinic, anyway.” She glanced over at Sam. “You’re probably more used to this, right? You wanna take over?” She held the phone out to him. 

Sam laughed and took the phone. “You were doing pretty well.” He told her. “Hey, Ally. Stiles is right. Have Dean check the trunk for the dart guns. If we don’t have them in there, see if your dad has any, or bring small daggers. We’ll coat them in the kanima venom if we have to. But yeah, everything Stiles already said.”

Allison snorted. “I’m on it, Samsquatch.”

“Don’t call me that.” Sam blurted, eyes going slightly wide. “Bye.” He hung up and thrust the phone back at Stiles.

Stiles put her phone back into her pocket. She wanted to ask if Sam would be okay with her being a guy again, near the end of the year. But one date didn’t mean they were going to have a lasting relationship. By now, she knew not to expect such a thing. She focused on breathing in and out slowly as she walked back to the Jeep, relieved that it was still there. Peter’s blatant interest in her female form hadn’t been all that shocking, and she was determined to ignore it unless he said something else, and then she was planning to just tell him to fuck off. It was just another day in Beacon Hills, basically. “I’m sorry that he’s an idiot.” She glanced at Sam. “It’s what I’m used to. From him, anyway.” 

Sam smiled gently at her. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not, but you don’t have to apologize for him. The way he acts isn’t your fault.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that.” Stiles laughed. She started the Jeep. “What do you want to do, after this? You and Dean are planning to go straight to Seattle, aren’t you?” 

“We were.” Sam murmured. “We might stick around for another day or so. Or I might convince Dean to. At least until you leave.” He gazed at her. “I’m not going to lie, I don’t really want to leave just yet.”

Stiles reached for Sam’s hand. “Maybe we can go back to Seattle with you guys, and then part ways there, if we’re going to.” 

Sam huffed a laugh. “I was thinking of suggesting to Dean that we follow you to Denver, honestly.”

“I like that idea, too.” Stiles smiled. “I’m sure we can all find something to do, whether that’s hunting or tourist stuff. And I do want to go back to Seattle, to see if I can find a way to stop the zombies. Maybe even cure them, but that’s not as likely.” 

Looking a bit sad, Sam shook his head. “Near as I’ve seen, there isn’t a way to cure them.” He told her softly. “We can definitely try to help them, though.”

Stiles circled a block and parked in the station lot, since she figured nobody would question her Jeep being there. She looked at Sam, then glanced at her watch. “We’ve got twenty minutes before we meet up with everyone. Uh, right now, the plan is to go to Montana, and then Denver. New Orleans later, but we were talking about just staying in Denver for awhile. Ultimately, I want to go to Paris. But I want to see the Mets play a game in New York, first. They’re my favorite baseball team. So we’re going to be around until at least next May.” 

Sam’s eyes searched her. “Then we make the most of the time we’ve got until you become a world traveler.” He told her. 

Stiles glanced at her watch again, then leaned toward Sam, bracing a hand on his seat as she kissed him. The angle was awkward, but she didn’t care. “I’m going to owe Allison a few hundred favors for letting me meet you.” She smiled. 

Sam laughed. “I already owe her a million for letting us meet you. Seriously, we were really excited.” He kissed her softly. “It’d be embarrassing if we had any shame whatsoever.”

“You were excited to meet me.” Stiles repeated. “I know you said as much last night, but I’m still perplexed.” She smiled slowly. “My dad’s going to be pissed.” She laughed. “I’ve known you less than twenty-four hours and I want you to come stay with me in Denver.” 

Sam rubbed a hand over her side. He thought silently for a moment. “Dean and I… you know we’re a packaged deal, right? So… if I stay with you…” he chewed his lower lip nervously, but left the thought unsaid.

“I’m not worried about that.” Stiles shook her head. “There was a point in time when it wasn’t a question that I would be sharing an apartment with Scott, for college. But I missed a lot of deadlines for college applications, and things just worked out differently. Now, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere without Allison, Derek and Theo. So we’ll just have to find a place with at least six bedrooms. And definitely more than one bathroom.” 

Sam smiled. “Well, with the amount of people that’d be living there, we’d definitely need more than one,” he agreed, laughing. “You’re amazing.”

“For wanting you guys with us?” Stiles shrugged one shoulder. “It’s not just for me. You’re friends with Allison and I know she’d want you with us, too.” 

“She would.” Sam sighed. “She’s always complaining that she doesn’t get to see us often enough.” He smiled. “That’s one thing the show got wrong with ‘Jo Harvelle.’ Ally and Dean never had any awkward brother-sister-romantic tension between them. She was always just the little sister we wished we’d had.”

“That’s how I see her. But she’s older than me.” Stiles laughed. “That’s the difference.” 

Sam laughed quietly. “I think she feels the same about you. She absolutely adores you, I hope you know that. She wouldn’t have gotten so riled up about half the stuff she told us if she didn’t think so highly of you.”


	13. Forget the Mess I'm In

Stiles watched as blood soaked into the tree stump, disappearing from view as though it had never been there at all. Deaton’s corpse was already tossed into the hole dug for him, and was more than halfway buried, when Stiles looked around the Preserve. Finding the nemeton hadn’t been at all difficult; it was like the tree had given them a clear path, welcoming them to come fix the situation it was in. Everything felt different already, and the shadows that had fallen over the clearing were gone, leaving behind plenty of sunshine. She turned toward Allison. “I need to go talk to Scott.” 

Allison nodded. “Go. He’s probably really confused right now. And hungry, but mostly confused.”

Stiles laughed, running to get into her Jeep. She hoped everyone else would understand why she wanted to do this on her own. Not to mention the fact that Scott had been a complete ass toward Dean and Sam, and she didn’t want to make them suffer through that a second time. She drove across town, ignoring stop signs and speed limits, since she knew who would be out and around at this time of day, anyway. She parked in front of Scott’s house, sighing to herself before she got out. There was no doubt in her mind that she had fixed the problem he was having, but there was still the chance that he didn’t want to see her. 

Scott was on the porch, down the front steps and wrapped around Stiles in an instant, burying his face in her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Stiles, I’m so sorry,” he warbled, his voice muffled against her shirt. “I don’t know what was wrong with me, I didn’t mean anything I said to you - well, I meant the stuff about loving you and wanting you to be safe, I’m always gonna mean that - but I didn’t mean it about not wanting you to come back to Beacon Hills, and I never meant to ignore you, I really didn’t, but it was like every time I put my hand out to call you, something made me stop, or forget, and I know that I can’t say anything to make up for it, but I’m just - I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Stiles hugged Scott. She thought about telling him what she had done, but decided not to bother. If he ever asked, she wouldn't lie. But history showed that Scott wouldn’t react favorably to Stiles being responsible for someone dying. “You’re not stuck here, you know? You should go to college.” 

“That’s the thing,” Scott said softly, pulling back to look at her and holding her elbows in his hands. “I was planning to! I was all set, packed, ready to get out of dodge, and then the crap with Monroe happened, and then the crap with the Nemeton happened, and I’ve just…” He grimaced. “It felt like I was trapped here. Like, no matter what I did, I was never going to leave Beacon Hills, I was always going to get dragged right back.”

Stiles sat down on the steps, pulling Scott down beside her. “I’m going to tell you. The hell with it, I guess? I mean, I don’t want to tell you, but I’m leaving here today or tomorrow anyway, so... if you don’t want to see me after this, I’ll try to understand.” She looked over at him. “Deaton told you to have Parrish bleed on the nemeton, right?” 

Scott frowned, nodding. “Yeah. He said that it needed a blood sacrifice, and that Parrish’s connection to the Nemeton made him the best candidate for it. He said it didn’t need to be, like, a killing blow or something, just a little cut that would feed the tree enough blood to keep it alive.”

“Yeah, I know.” Stiles murmured. “Except that Parrish is a _hellhound_.” She pointed out. “His blood was messing with the telluric currents and the ley lines, and everything. The nemeton is usually really freaking hard to find, but it practically gave me a path lit up with neon signs, to get me to fix it. The way I fixed it, you’re not going to like. But it’s done. You’re free. The town is going to be fine.” 

Scott started to ask what Stiles had done to fix things - but he’d spent entirely too long a time being at odds with Stiles, and he hated it. He wanted to know, but knowing wasn’t enough to keep him from being Stiles’ friend, and it certainly wasn’t enough to keep him from going to college. “You’re absolutely positive?” He asked, looking at Stiles hopefully. “It’s over? The beacon isn’t a beacon anymore, I’m not going to have to come back every other day to make sure that… I don’t know, Cthulhu is sticking his tentacles out of the ground and holding the town hostage in a nightmare world?”

Stiles laughed. “Well, the beacon is still a beacon, but now it’s more like a flashlight instead of a floodlight.” She mused. “And if something seriously problematic happens out here, someone will call you. Otherwise, stay in school.” She smiled. “You might actually want to hang around, anyway. Take online classes, keep the clinic running, you know?” 

“You think?” Scott looked a little dubious. “I don’t know if I can still apply for online classes at this point.”

“So keep working, save up for next semester.” Stiles murmured. She smiled widely. “Hey, so, other than bowling, where’s a good place to go on a date, around here?” 

“There’s really not much?” Scott admitted. “I mean, there’s bowling, there’s the drive-in, there’s the ice skating rink that Boyd works at…” He scrunched up his face, thinking. “You could go for a picnic, or go to a bookstore - although, I know you, you probably won’t come out for three hours if you go in one of those… um. The arcade? Greta’s? That’s just stuff off the top of my head, stuff I did with Allison and Kira. Malia would much rather play lacrosse with me, or throw a football at my head.” He smiled crookedly. “Who’s the lucky guy?” His smile faltered, and he looked panicked. “It wasn’t Dean, was it? The guy that threw me into the back of the Jeep?”

Stiles laughed, clutching her side. “No, he just offered to have sex with me. Sam’s the one who asked me out. I’m thinking no on going to Greta’s, even though I should at least say hi to her. Pretty much all those guys eat is diner food.” 

Scott looked equal parts understanding and affronted - he’d been Stiles’ friend long enough through the years to hear her extoll all of the faults of diner food in order to keep the Sheriff on the straight and narrow, but he also had a ridiculous amount of fondness for Greta, just like the majority of Beacon Hills did. He deflated a moment later. “Yeah, I guess if you eat nothing but diner food, getting diner food on a date isn’t really appealing.” He furrowed his brows, thinking. “You could probably grab some sandwich stuff, some drinks and desserts, pack a bag, and go have a picnic on the bluff? It overlooks the town, makes Beacon Hills look pretty cool.” His lips twitched, and he nudged her gently. “And I hear it’s pretty romantic.”

Stiles laughed again. “Yeah, I guess I could do that. I don’t know. I just want to make sure it’s not the same kind of thing he always does? Even though all I really have to go on is a tv series that’s full of crap. Dean’s only twenty-four. Oh! Allison is Jo Harvelle. Sort of.” 

“Wait.” Scott blinked. “I dated Jo Harvelle? But… but Allison’s not blonde.” He sputtered. “Wait, how much crap did they actually change on that show?”

“A lot of things.” Stiles murmured. She was quiet for a minute, then glanced at Scott again. “Peter was staring at my breasts, earlier. There’s a sentence I bet you never thought you’d hear me say.” 

Scott reared back, looking horrified. “No, it’s not, and it’s not one I ever wanted to hear! What the hell, Peter?” He shuddered. “I know we called him Uncle Bad Touch, but seriously!”

Stiles laughed. “Well, I didn’t really know how to respond to him, anyway. I thanked him and then kind of backed off, and he got offended. Like, I think he wanted me to flash him, now that I’m thinking about it? That wasn’t going to happen. Besides, Sam was right there. Not that I would have done it if he hadn’t been.” She paused. “Probably.” 

Scott’s jaw fell open. “You’d have flashed Peter?” He asked faintly, his eyes wide.

“I have nice breasts.” Stiles said bluntly. “I’d walk around topless if it wasn’t illegal for me to do that, now.” 

“Uh-huh.” Scott rubbed his eyes. “Don’t take offense to this, but I’m really glad that I have no attraction to you beyond platonic affection. You’re still the same Stiles that peed on my damn sandcastle in the sandbox when we were four.”

“Back at you.” Stiles nodded. “You’re too nice. I’d get bored in five seconds.” 

Scott’s lips twitched. “Yeah, you probably would. And then you’d start trying to encourage me not to be boring, and to do lots of unboring stuff to make me continue to not be boring.” He teased. “Like, I don’t know, climb out of the window of my bedroom to find half of a dead body?”

“Not today.” Stiles shrugged. “We buried it, already. Also, just so you know, Allison’s dating Theo.” She thought about the last few weeks. “I had sex with a musician. Before I became a girl, I mean. Nobody famous, but he was hot, anyway. He’s probably a zombie now.” 

Scott stared back at her steadily. “Dude.” He said with weight behind the word. “That sucks.”

“Yeah. I mean, for him, yeah.” Stiles nodded. “But like, honestly? It was kind of, uh, nice? Being with someone and knowing that I wasn’t going to see them again, after I left. It’s not something I want to do regularly. I’m actually really hoping that Sam sticks around, even when I’m back to having a penis.” She shrugged. “If I do go back. I kind of like this. And I’m also not sure that I would have been asked on a date if I was a guy, so there’s that.” 

“Well, if there are people dumb enough to not ask you on a date even though you’re a guy, then they’re dumb, and they deserve to be alone forever.” Scott replied, pursing his lips together in a frown.

“Wow, let’s just erase heterosexual men and lesbian women from existence.” Stiles teased. “I appreciate what you’re saying, though. Thanks.” She looked over at Scott again. “I’m glad you’re okay. You’re lucky I’m a stubborn jackass.” 

Scott’s eyes softened as he looked back at her. “I really am.” He said quietly, nodding. 

“Tell Malia I said hi.” Stiles stood up. “I have to go figure out what the hell to wear.” She had gotten a little too enthusiastic about skirts and dresses, and she didn’t have any t-shirts that fit her female form. 

Scott smiled. “I guess I’ll see you the next time you’re in town?” Scott asked, reaching out to hug her tightly.

Stiles hugged back. “Yeah, or sooner? I mean, you’ve got nothing going on here, exactly? You could come visit me. We’re staying in Montana for a little while. I’m not sure how long. After that, we’re probably going to move into an apartment in Denver.” 

“Oh, man. Denver would be awesome.” Scott beamed at her. “Dude, we could totally go to Aspen and go skiing!”

Stiles laughed. “Yeah. I’m looking forward to all of it. Living with Dean and Sam, too. I’m a little pissed off at you for being shitty to them, but I know it wasn’t your fault.” 

“I can apologize.” Scott sighed. “But I don’t think all of it was because I was being… whatever’d by the Nemeton. I think part of it was, you know. Being intimidated? And jealous. There was definitely a lot of jealousy. But I can apologize. I don’t want to have the real-life freaking Winchesters - or you - pissed off at me.”

“I’m making them go to Greta’s tomorrow.” Stiles said suddenly. “So you can come by and say goodbye to me, before we leave. You can apologize then, if you want.” 

“Okay.” Scott said softly, nodding. “I’ll be there.”

Stiles got back into her Jeep, letting her mind wander as she sent Allison a text to let her know where she was, then drove home. With all of the comparisons to her favorite tv shows, she now felt a little ridiculous, having met Dean and Sam in person. She parked in the driveway and went into the house, but hesitated in the doorway as she thought about going to the mall. 

Sam poked his head around the corner the minute he heard her, and then smiled. “Hi. Hey. How’d the thing with Scott go?”

“It went well.” Stiles smiled. “I didn’t think you guys would have come right back here. Not that I’m upset over it, or anything.” 

“Well, I did.” Sam laughed softly. “I wanted to hang around so I could be here when you got back. Come here.” He gestured at her and sat down on the couch, dragging his laptop toward him on the table. He smiled up at her. “I found an apartment for us.”

Stiles grinned, sitting down beside Sam. She looked at the apartment, glancing over at him. “Are you okay with me looking through pictures? I just don’t want to mess with someone else’s computer. I know how that can be kind of sacred.” She laughed. 

Sam slipped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Go ahead.” He smiled softly. “I thought it was kind of a good-looking place. It has eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, but it’s actually, like… a house that was converted into apartments?”

Stiles nodded. “That would give all of us some privacy, even while we live in the same place. I’ve got no problem with that.” She looked through the photos, her smile widening. The house looked perfect and she was sure that Derek would have no difficulty buying or renting it. 

“You think it’s good, really?” Sam asked, smiling. “I mean, the place is kind of pricey, but it’s really cool-looking… And as long as everyone else likes it…” He trailed off, blinking rapidly as a shadow fell over the laptop. He squinted up.

“You can’t seriously think that this place is worth living in, do you?” Peter asked, his head tilted to the side with a genuinely bewildered expression on his face. 

Stiles tilted her head back and looked up at Peter. “Do I need to ask who let you in?” 

“I let myself in, obviously.” Peter replied, peering down at the images on the laptop. “Really, you believe this is a decent place to live? It’s a rental. That means that people have previously rented it.” He squinted at Sam curiously. “Have you ever picked a house to live in before?”

“Uh, no.” Sam replied, not looking amused. “I live on the road. With my brother. In our car.”

“Ah.” Peter replied. He gestured at the laptop. “May I?”

Sam looked at Stiles, both eyebrows raised.

“It’s your laptop.” Stiles told Sam. “You can say no. Honestly, he’s lucky I’m not shoving wolfsbane up his ass. It would mean getting near that area, and... no.” 

Sam snorted, and then waved his hand at Peter. “Fine. Go ahead, do what you need to do.”

“There are many things I need to do. But I can do something better for you.” Peter looked at Stiles. “I told you that you’re my favorite.” He turned the laptop around, tapping rapidly at the keyboard and pulling a page up before turning it back toward Stiles and Sam. “If you’re going to live in Denver, then you might as well live there in style. It’s newly remodeled, and close to the zoo. Originally built in nineteen-fourteen. It’s a historical building, seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms… plenty of room for all of you, plus anyone you might want to visit. All you need to say is whether or not you like it.”

Stiles licked her lips as she looked from Peter to the laptop. She was worried about hurting Sam’s feelings, but Peter had found a home that felt a lot more welcoming, and she remembered the Hale house looking similar, though she wasn’t sure how she managed to equate the two. “What do you get out of this?” She asked, glancing back up at the werewolf. “Don’t tell me you get nothing, or that this is out of the kindness of your heart. You have a plan. What is it?” 

Peter cleared his throat, glancing between Stiles and Sam. He exhaled softly, and then said, “Malia is safe. And she’s not planning on leaving Scott, which is… frustrating, but understandable, since she’s in love with him.” He scowled a little. “I don’t… have any reason to stay here any longer. And I need… I’d like… somewhere to live. But I’m not going to be insulted or frustrated if you say no, it’s understandable.”

Stiles was quiet for a moment, holding up her index finger to tell Peter to give her a minute, as she tried to think. Derek probably would say he didn’t care, but she knew better. Allison would be wary, but she would just stay away from Peter if he got on her nerves, which was probably bound to happen. Theo could pay Peter back easily if the man was there with them, and she didn’t think that Dean or Sam would care one way or the other, since they were used to traveling and could always go, if they thought Peter was being too overbearing. Everyone would deflect to Stiles’ opinion, and she knew it. Even Peter knew it, or he wouldn’t have asked her. “There are a lot of things you don’t get a vote on.” She began. “So if you start overstepping boundaries, you’re going to have to deal with people telling you to fuck off.” 

Peter inclined his head. “Something I’m used to already.” He commented. “Alright. Understood.”

Sam pressed his hand gently against Stiles’, looking a little concerned. “Are you sure?” He asked her. “I’m okay with it, but only if you really are.”

“I’m okay with it.” Stiles nodded. She looked up at Peter. “Make the call. It’s going to be awhile before we get there, anyway. We’ve got other places we want to go, first. But you don’t have to wait for us, if you don’t want to.” 

Peter nodded back at her. “Alright.” He murmured. He grabbed the laptop and turned it back toward him, and after several minutes, he looked up again. “I’ve scheduled a viewing for the house sometime next week, and I’ll be heading out there to take a look around. If you have any requests, ah… Have Derek text me.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll get going. I’m not apologizing for coming in here and taking over your house hunting. But, uh. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you.” Stiles murmured. She glanced over at Sam. “I’m sorry.” She hoped she hadn’t caused him to hate her before they even had a date. 

Sam pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to her forehead with a sigh. “Don’t be sorry.” He murmured. “It was a really nice thing, doing that for him. I’ll probably think it’s less nice the first time he pisses me off, but…” He smiled and shrugged. 

Stiles laughed. “Everyone feels that way about Peter.” She put her arms around Sam. 

Sam kissed her again, slipping his hands up and down against her back. “So… I’ve seen pictures of you as a guy. How much taller am I than you?” He asked, teasingly.

Stiles grinned back. “Not very? Three inches taller. I’m six-foot-one. The height right now is a drawback, but the breasts make up for it.” She put her hand over her mouth, shaking her head. “I need to learn to filter my words.” 

Sam laughed, hugging her close. “I like that you don’t.” He told her.

“So it’s going to be okay, in a couple of months? I mean, I’m not sure if I want to go back. But it seems weird, not to.” Stiles murmured. “If it means that we have a time frame on this, I’ll deal with that. But I’m going to be honest, I’ll make the Grinch look like a passive motherfucker.” 

“I’m pretty fluid, sexually.” Sam told her. “I don’t think Dean even knows that. So… you turning back into a guy? Not really a big issue to me.” He smiled, shrugging. “Besides - you look really attractive as a guy and a girl, and you’re clever, and funny, and brilliant, and I’m just…” He looked slightly embarrassed, clearing his throat. “Allison gave really great, thorough descriptions of who you are.”

Stiles glanced around, making sure that nobody else was going to appear out of thin air, then moved to straddle Sam’s thighs, facing him. “I’m probably being a little too forward, but I don’t care. I’ve got the same opinion of you that you have of me, barring the whole turning-into-a-girl thing, but if you ever feel like giving it a try, I know a person.” She laughed, studying him. “For our date, we have options. Bowling, the arcade, or you could let me surprise you? I know you asked me and that kind of implies that you’ll find the place and everything, but I know this town.” 

Sam’s hands moved to grip Stiles’ thighs, and he stared up at her, his lips twitching. “I’ll bow to your expertise.” He murmured. “Like you said, you know this town. I trust you to know what’s good.” He tugged her in for a kiss, squeezing her thighs lightly.

Stiles leaned down to kiss Sam, smiling. 

*****

A few hours later, Stiles got ready for her date with Sam, eyeing her reflection. She had given up on finding anything new, since she didn’t have time to go to the store. She was wearing her Beatles t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Since it was getting colder at night, she grabbed a hoodie, but she didn’t put it on. A picnic basket and a couple of blankets were in the back of the Jeep, and she had been cautious about getting them out of the house and into the vehicle, not wanting Sam to see what she was doing. Her hair was kind of a mess, but she ignored it and put on lip gloss, then went looking for Sam. “Hey, are you ready to go?” 

Sam looked up at her, and then smiled, standing up. “Yeah, I’m good. So, where are we headed?” He asked, approaching her.

“You’ll see.” Stiles laughed. “If I tell you, it’s not a surprise. Just come get in the Jeep.” She reached for his hand, even as she stepped back, toward the front door. 

Sam followed her, grabbing her hand tightly and smiling. “Alright. I won’t ask.” He tugged her toward him for a light kiss, careful not to ruin her lip gloss, though he licked his own lips as he pulled away. “You really do look great.” He told her. “I love your shirt.” 

“Thanks.” Stiles grinned. “I thought about trying to make it look less like I’m wearing my older brother’s clothes.” She snorted. “But I can’t cut up a Beatles t-shirt. It felt like sacrilege.” She got into the Jeep, fastening her seatbelt and starting the engine, though it took a few tries. 

Sam reclined in the passenger seat, watching her. He looked curious. “Do you usually have trouble with the Jeep?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah.” Stiles murmured. “It belonged to my mom. I could probably afford something nicer, or maybe even convince Derek or Peter to buy me something.” She rolled her eyes, shrugging. “But I don’t want to do that. I know... I mean, I assume you get it? I shouldn’t say I know, since I don’t. I’m probably going to make a mistake at some point, confusing you with the guy on tv.” 

Sam laughed quietly. “It’s okay if that happens. But yeah, I get it. We get it. I was going to say, um… Obviously, I barely know anything about car repair, but…” He smiled a little. “I know a guy.”

Stiles grinned. “I’m kind of excited about that.” She admitted, pulling out of the driveway. “I mean, car repair with Dean Winchester is like... archery lessons from Robin Hood.” 

Sam let out a loud laugh. “That’s a really apt way of putting it. Ally would be proud, and she’d probably beat someone up for a chance at archery lessons like that. She had to make do with learning how to shoot a shotgun with my dad and Bobby.” He extended his hand, palm down, and settled it on Stiles’ thigh. “So… being the child of the county sheriff… how many times did your dad tell you that he wasn’t going to let you near a gun?”

“Zero.” Stiles smiled. “I’ve known how to shoot since I was twelve. I haven’t done it in a while, so I might need to figure out how to adjust my stance while I'm like this.” She gestured to herself. “Mostly, I just went to shooting ranges. I’ve never actually fired a gun in a serious situation. I’ve had guns pointed at me, though.” 

“Definitely am not a fan of that.” Sam snorted. “Guns being pointed at me usually doesn’t end well for me.” He gazed at her for a moment. “Maybe we can go to a gun range sometime. Closest thing I’ve been to one is firing Dad’s shotgun at the old beer bottles on Bobby’s fence.”

“We could do it tonight.” Stiles offered. “They close at ten.” 

“After our date, or a continuation of it?” Sam asked, turning a little to face her with a smile.

“A continuation.” Stiles grinned. “I was kind of dreading the idea of you wanting to go bowling. I don’t hate that or anything, but this is going to be a lot better.” 

“I haven’t been bowling in a really long time, and I don’t plan to do it anytime soon.” Sam admitted. “And when I did go bowling, which was very, very rare to begin with, I sucked at it a lot.” He smiled. “So, yeah, I’m thinking this will be about a million times better.”

“Noted, but now you’ve got me wanting to look up bowling alleys in Denver.” Stiles turned right at the end of the street, driving toward the Preserve. It was late afternoon, and she hoped to have dinner set up on the cliff before sunset. She parked in a lot, relieved that it was late enough in the year to guarantee that the trail would be vacant. Nobody else was in the lot. She got out, pulling a backpack on over her shoulders before she grabbed the picnic basket. 

Sam’s lips curled up as he slid out of the Jeep and made his way around to Stiles’ side. “Anything I can help with?” He asked, watching her fondly. 

Stiles handed the basket to Sam. “Don’t open this.” She laughed and started walking down the well-worn path, murmuring to herself as she glanced to her right, every so often. When they got closer to the clearing, she turned to face Sam. “Stop!” She laughed. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She ran ahead, opening the backpack and spreading a blanket out. She set the second, folded blanket off to one side on the first, then put the backpack down and ran back to Sam. 

Sam was laughing as she came back. “I take it I can come with you now?” He teased. 

Stiles smirked. “Nah.” She took the basket from him. “You can stay here. I’m going to have dinner.”

Sam snagged an arm around her waist and tugged her back toward him, kissing her. “Thank you.” He murmured. 

Stiles smiled. “For what?” She laughed again. “Being a sarcastic asshole?”

“No,” Sam grinned, “Although thank you for that, too, it’s beyond entertaining. No, I mean… thanks for dating me.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Not many people date in the hunter world. It’s usually, um, you know. Hook ups. Sex. I guess I still hold onto the ‘normal people’ wants.”

Stiles frowned. “Okay, one more thing that wasn’t just made up.” She shook her head. “I like normal. I like figuring out solutions, too. I’m not a big fan of nearly getting murdered three or four times a year, so joining the FBI might not have been my best plan. Good for them for kicking me out, I guess?” She snorted. “We’re going to have a lot of normal. You’ll be begging for a yeti sighting in Denver.”

Sam snorted, dragging her against him again and hugging her. “Do they actually have yeti in Denver?” He asked curiously. 

“Probably?” Stiles grinned. “I mean, colder climate, lots of open space? That’s their preferred dwelling, right?” She stood up on her toes to kiss Sam, taking his hand and walking toward the clearing. She glanced at the time on her watch. “We’ve got about half an hour to eat.” She commented. “But I’m not in a hurry.”

Sam raised his eyebrows. “Alright.” He murmured, settling down on the blankets once they reached them and looking around at the spread with interest. “What should we start with?”

Stiles set the basket down, kneeling beside it as she opened the lid. She got out a couple bottles of water and a tupperware bowl full of salad. “I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, too. I know, so gourmet.” She laughed. “But I haven’t been to the grocery store, on account of not having been here for the last few weeks. I’m a little tired of pizza, and I’m going to have to remind the town to stop feeding my dad fried food.” 

Sam ducked his head, grinning softly. “It sounds great.” He told her honestly. “I’m a big fan of salads, and I’m a huge fan of peanut butter and jelly. You literally could not go wrong with this.”

“Okay.” Stiles twisted around to the side, looking out at the city below them as she sat down. She opened her bottle of water and took a sip. “This is one of my favorite spots, around here.” She nodded toward the buildings. “I thought maybe we could watch the sunset, see what it looks like when it’s dark and the city is lit up. That’s nice, too.” 

“It sounds like it.” Sam murmured, shifting in place until he was pressed up against her side. He spread his legs apart and then tugged Stiles between them, slipping his arm around her from behind. “I don’t get to see it that much.” He admitted. “Cities at night from far away, I mean. Usually I’m right in the thick of it, and stuff is going down, so I can’t ever really enjoy it.”

“So we’ll stay here as long as you want, then.” Stiles rested her head on his shoulder. “I brought the second blanket in case we get cold.” 

Sam dropped his head down against hers, exhaling contentedly. “We probably will.” He murmured, smiling. “But let’s eat until we do.”

“Okay.” Stiles opened the bowl of salad and handed Sam a fork. “I would have made two separate bowls, but there wasn’t a lot of room in the basket.” She admitted, her smile rueful. “And I probably ate as much as I made, so I’m not that hungry.” She turned her head to look at him. “Do you know how to ski or ice skate?” 

Sam grimaced as he took the fork. “Honestly, I’m more likely to face plant doing either of those things. I’ve never done either of them before.”

“I can teach you.” Stiles offered. “Ice-skating, at least. I’ve never gone skiing. But I want to. I’m thinking about making a list of things to ask you.” She laughed. “Because there’s a lot I want to know, and I don’t want to bombard you with questions. If I stick to maybe three a day, then that’s not as terrible, and it’s not like we don’t have time for more later.” 

Sam snorted, burying his face in her shoulder. “So make a list, and we’ll keep a calendar.” He told her. “Ask me a question morning, noon, and at night. And I’ll do my best to answer.” He took a bite of salad, and then reached for a sandwich. “But if you can be patient with me, then sure, I’m all for you teaching me to ice skate.”

“There’s a rink out here.” Stiles grinned. “And I know a guy with the keys. So we could go ice-skating after the shooting range. Or save the shooting for tomorrow.” 

“We’ll work with it.” Sam laughed. “We can find a range anytime and anywhere. We can skate first, and then we’ll go shooting, whenever we get to it.”

“Okay.” Stiles kissed the corner of Sam’s mouth, content to stay where she was. She picked up a sandwich and bit into it, chewing carefully because she knew she could be a little gross when she ate, sometimes. Even though he wasn’t facing her, she didn’t want to disgust Sam. 

Sam took a large bite of his own sandwich, chewing with his head turned in the opposite direction because he didn’t want to get any crumbs in Stiles’ hair. He didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with discussion as they ate - it was more comfortable than he’d ever been with someone before, and he liked it. 

Stiles wrinkled her nose, fighting the urge to ask any of the questions that kept cycling through her mind, like wanting to know Sam’s favorite town, or if he had gone to Stanford at all, or if that was just another made-up detail. Everything she wanted to ask made her frustrated, since she only knew what the tv series had provided, as information. She resolved to treat Sam like any other stranger - or at least, as much as she could, given that any other stranger would have prompted her to say the cruelest things she could think of, in an effort to see how long it would take them to flee in irritation. 

“This is driving you nuts, isn’t it?” Sam glanced down at her, his lips twitching. He looked at the time on his phone, and then said, “Alright. I’m giving you ten minutes. Ask me.”

Stiles exhaled in relief, only just realizing that she had been holding her breath to prevent herself from speaking. “Oh my god. Okay. Um. Jesus. Did you really go to Stanford? What’s the best place you’ve ever been, and why? When did your interest go from ‘Allison can stop talking about her friend any day now’ to actual, you know, intrigue? And that’s it, I’m going to shut up and you can answer.” 

Sam laughed. “Well… starting from the first question, I actually did attend Stanford for a little while. Um, it wasn’t long enough to go into pre-law, like on the show, but I got a couple of classes out of it, and some credits.” He shrugged. “We’ll see what I end up doing with them eventually. As for the best place I’ve ever been…” Sam furrowed his brows together. “I’m still not sure yet, honestly. There are a lot of places I like, but there are still a lot of places I’d like to go. I think that home is the best place I’ve seen, though.” He smiled crookedly. “And as far as when I started getting interested - there wasn’t a point where I ever told Allison to stop talking about you, by the way - I think it was probably when Allison talked about when you stepped into gasoline holding a road flare for Scott.” He looked at her, his eyes soft. “She cried. It made me want to cry, hearing the way you felt about him. You’d do the same for him that I’d do for Dean.”

Stiles nodded, smiling softly. “He’s the closest I’ve got to a brother.” She murmured. “Or at least, it was like that. Now I have Derek. And Allison’s like a sister.” She smiled. “Or at least, halfway to that point. I’ll try to be quiet and let you enjoy the sunset.” She laughed. “Which should be in about twenty seconds.” 

Sam tugged her close again and smiled, his eyes on the horizon. “You don’t have to be quiet. But I have to admit that even silence is comfortable with you.”

“Okay.” Stiles smiled back at him, then went back to looking out over the city, as the sky darkened. 

Sam stayed still, just holding her, long after the sun had set and the stars had begun to appear, his head tilted back. He lowered his head as the lights in the city began to appear, and he exhaled softly. “I can see why you love this place.”

Stiles grinned. “Scott and I used to camp out here. Well, we at least tried, a few times. The first time, we were about ten. Boy Scouts was never really our thing, and we yelled at our dads for trying to help us set up our tent. We ended up falling asleep on top of it, not even having it set up, the first time. We woke up in my room because our parents had enough of our shit.” She laughed. 

Sam snorted. “Our Dad was gone so often that Dean usually took it upon himself to do things like that for me. When we couldn’t leave the hotel rooms, he would make these huge blanket forts in the room and make a ‘fire’ out of flashlights and twigs. When he was older and driving, he’d take me on little trips with actual tents in the back, and even if it wasn’t to an actual campsite or anything, he’d still find the place that looked the most like the forest, wherever we were, and he’d set up a campsite for us.”

“If you had lived here...” Stiles murmured. “I probably would have been on your nerves. I’ve calmed down a lot since I got possessed. I’m quieter, despite any evidence to the contrary. But it would have been good to have you and Dean with us when we were dealing with everything. I don’t think the town will ever be a problem again. Beyond the usual shit, I mean. B and Es, potheads and underage drinking.” 

Sam hummed. “Well. If anything ever does happen in this town again, you’ve got us to back you up from now on.”


End file.
